Let's Talk Movies with Skills Club

By Wong Ji Kin

“A filmmaker’s most important tool is humanity. You want to be able to capture humanity in your stories and bring out humanity in your characters.”

- Ryan Coogler

We currently live in the golden age of cinema where films of high-quality (from content to audio-visual quality) are released almost every other week.

Film events are now popping up more frequently than ever and the consumption of films is at an all-time high.

Most of us eagerly watch these movies, but some of us may have dug deeper and asked “How are these movies made anyway?”

BAC Skills Club aimed to answer that very question with “Let’s Talk Movies!” conducted by BAC’s very own Mr. Nathan Maran.

Mr. Nathan, aside from being an accomplished lecturer, is also a talented and well-respected filmmaker.

Previously invited to attend the National Next Wave Young Filmmaker workshop back in 2016, he has represented Malaysia for the ROK-ASEAN FLY film festival in 2018.

The session on 8th June 2022 was divided into two parts, first, a presentation by Mr. Nathan, followed by a practical session where participants got to make their own short film. In total, the event lasted for around 2½ hours.

Mr Nathan's presentation was well-organised and intuitive. Using his own short films as an example, he explained the processes behind filmmaking.

Although the format of the presentation was somewhat akin to a typical lecture, it definitely did not feel like one. Covering the steps to create a film, this was a session that piqued everyone's interest, with some budding filmmakers among the audience taking notes as the presentation continued.

During the practical session, participants were divided into multiple teams and were given full creative liberty to record and edit their own one-minute film.

All participants managed to produce short films of their own well within the time limit, enjoying themselves immensely as they explored the processes of coming up with plot ideas, recording and acting out the film.

Some teams even went the extra mile, producing a two-minute short film during that time.

Participants then had the chance to watch their final products. This exercise proved a great way to keep participants engaged, and to get their creative juices flowing!

Each team explored different film genres, ranging from humorous to sentimental, truly an eye-opening and interactive experience.

Another bright spot of this event was that it allowed both online and face-to-face participants to join in the fun.

Both Mr. Nathan and the BAC Skills Club committee were meticulous in their execution; giving participants the chance to learn something new.

Want to pick up new skills or hone hidden talents? Join the Skills Club for their next meeting!