Dualogue 06 | Cinematic & Photography

Dualogue

Cinematic & Photography

06 Speakers Low Pey Sien Ridhwan Saidi Moderator Scott Lu Siau Yang

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Published in Malaysia by SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE & BUILT ENVIRONMENT UCSI UNIVERSITY 1, Jalan Puncak Menara Gading, Taman Connaught, 56000 Cheras, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Two professional speakers had been invited to present their point of view and their experiences throughout their journey. Low Pey Sien, a manager and an assistant producer in KongsiKL, Kuala Lumpur .She enjoys seeing how spaces are used, and she goes deeper by understanding the relationship between the space and the obvious user.

Low Pey Sien

Manager and assistant producer in KongsiKL, Kuala Lumpur; Pey Sien, Low. Freelancing as a photographer, filmmaker and designer; both her video and visual works explore the relationship between space, place and people. Despite not working in architecture firms, yet the works produced were heavily influenced by the architecture schooling years. Pey Sien enjoys seeing how space are used and goes deeper by understanding the relationships between said space and of its user.

Cinema was a new medium for Pey Sien until 2016 but photography still plays in her favour. However, she did not consider it as cinema as she stated it was more like moving images, 24 frames per second. Nevertheless, cinema is a definite medium to tell a story. While carrying her task, “Pey Sien, today what do you want to tell today?” is the self-reflected question she always keep in her mind as it offers a clear direction towards her projects.

What is cinema?

Pey Sien shares a video work on ‘Cites and Signs’ which was done for the ‘Tracing Calvino’ exhibition, curated by BOOKU based in Old Klang Road in 2016. The objective of the task is to observe different cities with different inhabitants and signs. The main intention of this project is to observe people moving in space and time.

Self-questioning Despite the pandemic, Pey Sien took this opportunity to develop her work in photography while self - questioning ‘ Pey Sien, what are you trying to say’, when a task was given to her. During the lockdown, she started residing in Kongsi KL and her daily transition is a huge 10,000 square feet warehouse with an open space without much furniture and she was divided into different spaces depending on the building activities. She would observe the morning sunlight and how on its transition and the shadow cast on wall and floors from openings and skylights. At night, artificial light plays the role of capturing the interesting feature in a space. To conclude, observation of the surrounding is the key as it reflects on the appreciation beauty of space during the passing time.

During the MCO phase 2, she found herself in self-exploration as it was an experience in the observation of the emotional and physical body. To summarize, she believes that observation was mean for herself to find her voice to express herself visually.

Self-exploration

Ridhwan Saidi

A Malaysian novelist, theatre-maker, and film director; Ridhwan Saidi, co-founded an indie publishing house, Moka Mocha Ink which focusses on contemporary Malay Fiction and drama. Having written 6 novels and translated David Cronenberg’s novel CONSUMED into Malay, he proceeds to write TEATER MODULAR; consisting 13 offbeatplaylets described as “politics, sex and religion existing in harmony” and absurd and weirdly sexy”. This year he’ll be releasing TIADA CINTA SELAMA MUDA, his feature film directorial debut.

Ridhwan Saidi, a Malaysian novelist, theatremaker and film director. He co-founded an indie publishing house called Moka Mocha Ink that focuses on contemporary Malay fiction and drama. He wrote six novels and produced several series of photos, namely Ranggi Metropolis and Caipirinha Blues.

He also has a series of short plays called theatre modular which consists of 13 playlets described as politics sexy and religion as distinct in harmony.

Tiada Cinta Selama Muda

Moka Mocha Ink

Ridhwan Saidi started his journey as a writer and novelist in 2011 gradually to performance and theatre from a playwright to a play director in 2017. In 2020, he started exploring filmmaking. His feature film, Tiada Cinta Selama Muda as his latest directorial debut.

Ridhwan Saidi shared his photography work of Caipirinha Blues work at Copacabana, Ipanema, a beautiful beach located in Rio De Janeiro. From his photography, he constantly observes human activities at the beach. In addition, he shared some photography of The UFO by Oscar Niemeyer and Caminho Niemeyer in Niteroí located on the opposite of Rio de Janeiro. He described the women in Brazil as sexier, curvy and the golden skin tone which plays and harmonized factor to the overall composition of the photography which is in sync with nature compared to people in Miami who are more vulgar.

In Litera City book, he wrote about Ranggi Metropolis based on Meraba Wajah Ibu Kota 1972 by Latiff Mohidin.

Following the route described in the script, Ridhwan Saidi found some difficulty as he stated that the roads in Kuala Lumpur are constantly changing therefore part of the history are affected. Lastly, as for his latest directorial debut, Tiada Cinta Selama Muda, he shares some of the photographs from his film.

As a director, emphasizes the importance of the basic knowledge of photography, techniques, and the mechanic of the camera while working with a director of photography (DOP) or a cinematographer. He also describes the filmmaking process as the combination of novelist and theatre as it required working editing solitude at times and working together as a team during the shooting process.

Sync with nature

Filmmaking experience

7

“Was filmmaking and cinematography a very hard process?”

Q&A I think it depends on the method of the stop motion? If it is a drawing, I think it will be much more time consuming. But stop motion that uses photographs is slightly easier to produce. Drawing is fine too if it is a short promotional video like the one I did.

Low Pey Sien 9

I’m not sure but there’s a difference between digital and analog because analog capture light and projects onto the negative. One of the biggest advantages of analog photography is there will be a negative, a physical object, which can be rescanned again in the future. If it is digital, since it is data, it captures the light differently in pixel which is two different things. I think it depends on the culture since photography and technology have blended and played a huge part in our life nowadays.

Ridhwan Saidi

“What do you think about phone cameras nowadays?

Do you think it vhas what it takes to take quality photos like yours?”

“Do you produce your pictures after you take the film?”

Yes. Only for black and white, you can produce it manually but for color uses a machine

Ridhwan Saidi

I think photography and filmmaking are similar as you frame a certain scene you see since the world is open-ended. That to me, I think I want to find what beauty is for me within that frame. Sometimes putting things in the frame require to have certain sense of balance of harmony, color, or contrast as a beauty. What I like about about color shoot film is because we can instantly see and adjust the result digitally but back in the days, they couldn’t. I’ve met this old school filmmaker in his 80s, he said they did not have video assist back in the day, which is the monitor which I have never give a thought.

Since the technology is advanced nowadays, I can try and compose but if we compared to those old filmmaking processes, although it was harder their composition sometimes is better. For instance, Yujiro Ozu’s piece is a unique composition even without the help of video assist.

Ridhwan Saidi

“What do you look for within when capturing photography or shooting cinematic videos?”

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“What is the one thing that you learn during your self-exploration throughout your photography career?”

I didn’t study photography, but what I like about photography is the process of producing the images. For example, in some films, you get to see the process of entering into a dark room to see the negative, to produce the film.

When I was young, I was interested but I didn’t have the opportunity. It’s was till 2000 when I can afford the film. From there, an endless journey of learning was awaits me. Along the way, there will be mistakes made, for instance, the exposure and the time are not right. You are always constantly learning and gaining experience.

Ridhwan Saidi

Low Pey Sien For me, I need to find out what do I want to say. Photography is relatively easier than painting and the techniques can be easily learnt, but the story or the content of the works is much more difficult. For example in my self-portrait project, I was trying to express myself visually. Because it’s self portrait, my body language also become very important to express what’s in my mind.

“So you only use natural light?”

Natural lighting or practical lighting

Low Pey Sien “Practical lights are the light sources that are visible as models within your scene. Indoor examples of practical lights include lamps, light fixtures, television sets, or any other model you’ve built that emits light.”

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“Is it difficult to achieve the perfect photography lighting?”

What I try to do is using existing sunlight or existing light source that I can find, studio lighting is another things, another level.

Low Pey Sien

As for me? It’s the same as Pey Sien because I prefer practical lighting or natural lighting. With natural lighting, we can estimate the best time to shoot. For instance, during the sunrise, dawn, and dusk. It could depend on the person itself, some are more perfectionist and precise.

They are in control of everything with a complete setup. As for me, I am more guerrilla so we have to find beauty within the constraint or boundary. At the end of the day, It is important to know ourselves first.

Ridhwan Saidi

“As a cinematographer, who inspires you and influence you to what you do right now?”

I think there are many sources of inspiration not just by the cinematographer. Of course, you like to see beautiful visual works, but I think, different exposure is important, not just visual but in performing arts too.

Low Pey Sien

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“If you were to just name one person who would be?”

I think the one work that made me look into cinema was Lav Diaz’s from what is before it was a 4-hours long cinema and the impact on me was, the cinema was so long and the pacingt is slow but it takes its time to tell the story. That was one of the film directors that had changed my perspective cinema.

Low Pey Sien

Not really, I don’t idolize people. Yeah. I have some favourite ones.

Low Pey Sien

“Would it be safe to say that you will be star struck if Christopher Nolan would stand in front of you ?”

I believe in humour or hope. When I write novels during my 20s, I like a dark story without pessimism.

So, nowadays the reason behind my work is that I believe in getting some sense of hope even though it is dark. It depends on the age group too. When I study back my work, it was the younger character that has lost the sense of hope and die but I’ve realized that life itself is dark. Therefore, the story should have some glimmer of hope or some sense of humour. That would be the dark humour. Those are the principle I go by.

“What are your certain principles in writing story?”

Ridhwan Saidi

“You would like to put a glimmer of hope in your feature film?

Is it safe to say that?”

Yes. It depends particularly on how you put it together. Working on a film or novels, it is important to keep in mind what and how you want to convey the story. It is the method of how to convey the stories to your audience is the most important because the storyline is already available. You’ve to repeat and innovate a little to bring the context back to life. You would also have to keep in touch, in reality, your time and your being

Ridhwan Saidi

I don’t think I have a career in photography or cinematography but cinematography I needed it for my work. I take the publicity photos and videos, then I edit into something. Photography is something that I like since secondary school. It’s just something that I enjoy. I like to see a nice photograph because I would feel “wow, it is so nice. I want to take something like that.” I don’t think there’s any advice.

Low Pey Sien

I am no advisor because I think photography has already embedded within our culture and lifestyle.

Ridhwan Saidi

“Do you have any advice for the people that might be interested in this thing?”

“Speaking of guerrilla shooting, he noticed that something is different from professional shooting and budgeted shooting, mostly in Yasmin Film, Yasmin Ahmad right.

So, where the quality of budget shooting somehow invokes a more nostalgic and local kind of experience within the audience, so they can relate better to it .

What do you guys think about this?”

We cannot generalize by the style of shooting because everybody has some different preferences, some films have more budget, but they can also try to evoke certain raw aesthetics, or mae it looked polished visually.

Low Pey Sien I think it depends on the filmmaker itself because of Yasmin Work’s introspection towards the feeling of nostalgia when you were young like the film ‘Mukhsin’ which is one of my favorites. Another example of the local filmmaker, Hussein Haniff, he anti sentimental, his work is more rebellious, Hang Jebat. To conclude, each filmmaker has his preference and uniqueness to their work.

Ridhwan Saidi 19

“What are your views on cinematic architecture? And do you think it’s useful for both individually and towards the industry?”

I’ve watched a few documentaries on architecture, it is the meditatively for me.

To me, if the building is interesting and beautiful and the filmmaker captured the spirit of the building, it is meditative somewhat from my experience watching architecture film.

Ridhwan Saidi

“What are the platforms or opportunities to learn such skills? And where do you think it is most suitable to display one’s work?”

I think Ridhwan’s play is a good entry point, it’s quite cinematic, perhaps because of the set design pr the space.

Photocook is a nice format to experiment how to arrange images in sequence to tella a story or you can even make a short video out of it.

Low Pey Sien

If I like the works of others, I will buy their books or find their writings. For example, Tarkovsky, sculpting in time. After watching his video films, I read his book written by himself to analyze how he thinks similarly to theater or photography. In the context of photography, I like Daido Moriyama’s works. Previously, I’ve participated in a short class with a german director who is rigid in decision making as part of their culture. They are more precise and detail. As for Daido Moriyama who is in the 60s, he inverts a different point of view in his work. For instance, blurriness, grainy, and out of focus are unwanted features in photographs instead he made them into beauty. By understanding his concept, I always pushed what’s the beauty of my film. When I engaged with a new medium or genre for me, I have to learn the history and the culture of a certain place. For example, Malaysia’s culture performing art originally from wayang kulit Mahabharata. Therefore, knowledge and history are important to know where you belong.

Ridhwan Saidi

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ADVISOR Doris Quek Shu Han PROGRAMME LEADER Shirley Syn See Bui CONTENT LEADER Emmelia Anne Quek Yuen May MULTIMEDIA Miao An Nan Alvin Ng Poow Foong DOCUMENTATION TEAM Edwin Seng Yong Wei Fong Li Theng Eunice Tan Kai Yi Lim Kai Xuan Lean Soong En Chen Yen Jia Chang Chee Yoo Chong Li Min Tan Wei Zhe Lai Zhi Zhen Mandy Lai Ping Jie Joanne Tong Lai Mun