Executive Producer

When I was asked by my beloved Ms Loh Me Ping, whether would like to take this task or not, I was really in a dilemma.
I felt exciting to have the chance to work with very different and fresh people who are my juniors, and at the same time I was super duper worrying that I could not do it well, since I think that I am not a technical person, as I think all of the EPs are technically good and have experienced production a lot.
I actually asked a stupid question at the moment: Do you think I'm ok to take it?
Then the replied was "If not what I asked you"
LOL

This is my very first time to be an Executive Producer (EP), and aside my EP during Diploma time, who is Yen Leong (thanks her so much for advising me with wise words before everything started), I am the other only female EP for this batch.
Sounds cool, but just simply sounds cool yea, I couldn't make sure that the outcome will be as good as what I wanted.
So here it came the time to pick a team number, and guess what, I have chosen my lucky number of 4.

The first stage is pre-production.
I could not attend the first two meetings, but then when they just purposed their first idea to me, even though I was not so good with it, but I approved. So ended up I got comments by Ms Loh, saying me being too easy going because she knew that I was not so confident to make the script happens, thus I was wrong at the very first step. I am the kind of person who cares about the message or impact of a short film. In fact the team has quite a good concept but they were lost in producing a complete script and storyline, they easily messed the important elements of the script. And during the first met (which was already their third meeting), I actually got pissed off. I somehow wondered was I being too kind to them and did they take it as granted. I am clear that I am definitely a hot-tempered person who normally scolds at my team even though it was just pre-production, but for this time I promised to myself earlier, to be more understanding c'z they are just juniors. Talking back to the first met, few of them gave me really bad impression because they were late. What made me felt even worse was when I tried to wait for half an hour and started to lose my patient, I called the team to call the members who were being late, but in return the team asked me not to hasten them to avoid any accident, and they even told me to give more love and care to the members. To be honest what was going on in my mind were just three words: What the fuck?! But after my speechless moment I calmed myself down and then we started the most suffering period, where they needed to complete their script. I forgot how many days we worked on that, I forgot how many times I tried to persuade them to change their entire storyline and how many times they were so determined to work with the previous script, and finally, I approved the new script of theirs, which was the final script that was much more better than the previous one.

The following stage was production phrase and undoubtedly, I shot my fire guns with tons of bullets, as much as I could.
After talking my situation with my close friends, they were all unbelievable that I was so patient to them and they thought I was so wrong at the first step, I should have showed them my seriousness, as I am also a person who is super duper serious when come to production.
We supposed to have two days of shooting and planned for one more day for backing up, but at the end they spent four days that made them over budget badly.
Initially I thought of following them for the first day of shooting only but that day they all did a damn terrible performance: I was not informed about the new location and they actually decided to use the place right before the shooting started, shooting delayed for two hours, and once all were ready to start, another bad news of lab equipments lost. From these incidents I got to know that who played their roles and took their responsibilities well while who didn't. After the shooting I called for a meeting urgently and I didn't even care about how late the time was. Two of them cried in front of me during the meeting. Yea I was fierce at the time, I scolded them in front of their talents before the shooting got started (I had no intention to do so but I had no choice, the space was small lol). Followed by the second day where the location was at Sungai Buloh, I was actually rushing for my assignments c'z the next day was the submission due date. I did not help much but I was there observing everyone of them, and showed up myself when it was my time. No doubt please, I still scolded them. And here it came the day where few of the  members started to have conflict in their mind, but fortunately though they bear and tolerated until the end of the production stage. The third day I was following too, and good to see they really improved, at least did their responsibilities better. Thus I could finally decide not to follow them again  for the fourth day of shooting.

After all the shooting have been done, the post-production stage started.
I gave my opinions after their rough cut, they seemed lost their sense in arranging the footages in proper sequence. But after all the feedbacks from me and Ms Loh, they were backed on track. However there was just one more thing that made me felt disappointed, when I asked to check their fine cut before their submission, in case they would probably need any correction in the final work, but they just showed me after they have submitted it, so I did not know what was the point. I gave them my feedback immediately once I watched the video, to me, overall they have overused and misused the SFX (noise in both visual and audio) which made me felt annoying and it likely turns out gonna be like a suspense or horror film. Also talking about the impact, it could be bigger impact by doing some amendments on the typography of tagline and footage durations. While to comment about the strength, I like the montage part after 4:00 as the pace and mood were in order and match the BGM quite well. I actually expected and have prepared myself if it would be a miserable result, but eventually the team still did a good job.
We had a post-mortem meeting also, and everyone of us spoke out and voiced out the words from the bottom of our hearts, and of course, I wanted them to tell every single unhappiness and uneasiness towards the production, the team, and me, we solved all the miscommunication and misunderstanding among us because I do not want them to bring the emotions to future time. I gave my comments and advices to everyone of them too, one by one, I hope the words were digested and taken wisely, to appreciate or not was back to them, my intention was just to help them as much as I could, so it would guide and remind them when they step in the real industry environment.

Screening session is what always being encouraged to have so because it really provides an opportunity and a platform for all of the broadcasters to interact with each other, in a more formal and professional term.
The talents were invited too, as a sign of our infinity appreciation for their hard works. Yea, our talents are important and great, they helped in cooperating and negotiating their time with us, they really sacrificed a lots.
During this session, I have watched all of the EPs' production and there were really amazing works that impressed me a lot. Besides that, it was a very good chance to see and realize the strength and weakness of our owns as well as others'. After all I received lots of extremely different feedbacks, those who understood the film would say it was good enough but for those who did not get the meaning, they simply couldn't. One of my friends has mentioned about the key point, the film is quite artistic thus the risk would be not every audience could understand it, I agreed with him, this was what made our film a succeed because we wanted to present it in a more artistic and abstract way.
Come to the very last part, I would say that I really fully enjoyed myself over the whole process, I have gained and learnt and improved myself in a way, in return I think my team too. As what Ms Loh has told me, she thinks I was not only helping them grow physically but most importantly was their mental. I am touched and glad when listened my team (I don't know why now they are more like my kids whom made me wanna protect and continue guide them and give few of them counselling, actually there were few of them cried in front of me and expressed their true feelings to me) saying they felt proud and appreciate to have this cross-over chance with this bunch of people. I would want to remind my team once again, as what I kept emphasizing on them: To control their emotions, and to mind their attitude (understand their responsibility) for their own good.

And yea one more thing, when I asked the team whether heard about me or my style before, they actually told me that they have heard from others, saying although technically speaking I am weak, but I have my strength in leadership, and I am very strong in scriptwriting. However, they heard that I have very bad-temper and even a perfectionist as well. All of these words help me in building my confidence and for my changes to be a better me as I never know that I would get such complements.
Last but not least, I seriously and sincerely would like to thank Ms Loh Me Ping again for this given chance and exposure, and she explained to me that it is time for me to find my confidence and make my passion continue burns. She thinks I am ready for challenge and everything but I don't have a "powerful" or impressive portfolio, thus it is time for me to start making it happens. I would want to apologize to Ms Loh too, because our carelessness had caused lots of shits, and I heard from my team that Ms Loh actually cried. There were too much for her, I know she has her own stress and burden too, I wished I could help. Thank you very much Ms Loh, your understanding, your caring and your helps always beneficial to everyone of us.
By the way, many people told me that I'm alike Ms Loh, my style, my pattern, when I am talking or "lecturing", and when I am eating chewing gum... Hmmm I just wish that I can be as successful as Ms Loh!

So here is the production that we have done within this one precious month. (To be fair I posted both links.)
Thanks for those who really like it, I know there are still spaces for me and my crew to improve ourselves.
Hope everyone enjoys watching it and do not hesitate to ask me even personally and comment regarding this production video.
WAKE, by The Sip Soong (XII) Production.