C4

LIFE! Movies

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

Movies LIFE!

C5

YOUNG STARS, BIG LEAP

Actors in their early 20s and younger are scoring starring roles in upcoming movies as film-makers turn to fresh talent
Boon Chan
Media Correspondent

THE ALL-ROUNDER
EDWIN GOH (right), 18 Seen in: Channel 5s nostalgia drama Fighting Spiders (2009-2010) and then Channel 8s On The Fringe (2011) as the rebellious and witty Yao Zhiyong, son of Li Nanxings character. Also played Zoe Tays withdrawn son in the film Love Cuts (2010) His next movie: Plays loyal friend Jianhao (right) in the film Imperfect Through acting, the effectively bilingual Goh has picked up skills such as sailing, choreographed fighting and catching spiders. Fighting Spiders was his first drama while he was still studying at Holy Innocents High School, and he spoke to his parents and friends to learn more about the 1960s era. His father is a ship supplier. He recalls: They told me that they really did catch spiders. Before that, I had never heard of people actually fighting with spiders. While his roles have been pretty serious ones thus far, Goh, who will be studying performing arts at Lasalle College of the Arts from next month, says: I hope through my acting I can make people laugh. So it makes sense when he claims that he likes watching the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants and classic favourite Tom And Jerry. There is, at the same time, a more mature side to him. He does not see his acting peers as competition. Only the public does, I think. From my point of view, I treat all of them as friends. And, no, working with his ex-girlfriend Jayley Woo in the future will not be awkward for him. Well, if its a job, its a job. And I enjoy doing my job so I dont think it will bother me, he says.

dwin Goh, Ian Fang, Julie Tan, Jayley Woo, Kimberly Chia and Elizabeth Lee. They are not household names yet movie stardom already beckons for them. The Channel 8 drama On The Fringe (2011) about wayward youths turned leads Goh and Fang into stars and also boosted the popularity of Chia and Lee. They reunite in Imperfect, a film also about wayward youths, which is slated for release on Aug 30.

It is directed by Steven Cheng. After a memorable turn as a singer in the period drama series A Song To Remember (2011), Tan next plays a student who loves music in the xinyao nostalgia film That Girl In Pinafore, directed by Chai Yee Wei. Joining her in the movie as her best friend is Woo, who made an impression in the Channel U school drama Jump! (2012). Woos more prominent movie role is in director Gilbert Chans upcoming horror flick Inside The Urn, where she is a girl who discovers the truth behind the mysterious incidents caused by the arrival of her new stepmother. Get ready as the next wave of local acting talent makes the leap to the big screen and the big time. bchan@sph.com.sg

THE GOOD BAD BOY

IAN FANG (left), 23 Seen in: Channel 8s On The Fringe (2011) as Fann Wongs teen delinquent brother His movie break: Plays Zach (above), an impulsive and belligerent young man, in Imperfect, a film about wayward youths At the group photo shoot for Life!, when the photographer instructs each of the actors to find his own space, Fang immediately leans against the wall and glances askew at the camera. It is the classic Bad Boy Oozing Attitude pose. The bad boy label, tagged on him since On The Fringe, is too simplistic, he says. I think Im quite kind and I like to stay at home. When people say Im a bad boy, maybe its just because of my appearance. The Shanghai-born Singapore-based Fang says he fell madly in love with movies when he was studying new media at Republic Polytechnic. In the space of two years, he watched more than 380 films. He graduated in April and is now a full-time actor. Harbouring the dream of becoming a director, he rewatches some films three to four times, pausing them to study the acting, camera work and editing. His favourite films include Oceans Eleven (2001), Oceans Twelve (2004), Oceans Thirteen (2007) and Fight Club (1999), and his favourite actors include Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Subsequently, he figured that since he wanted to be a director, he would need to learn about all aspects of film, including the most important skill of acting. His break into show business was as the male lead in the music video for the ballad, A Brave Front, by local pop duo The Freshman a role he landed through auditions. He then proceeded to make a splash with his debut acting role as a rich kid who gets into trouble on the Channel 8 police drama C.L.I.F (2011). This is my career because I love the arts. I dont take this as a game. This is my ricebowl, he adds. His parents are divorced and he was brought up by his mother. This is why he is very clear about his goals. He says: I want to make money. Its been tough on her all these years and its my time to take care of her. Bad boy? Make that filial son.

THE JUGGLER
ELIZABETH LEE (left), 18 Seen in: Channel 8 youth drama On The Fringe (2011) Her movie break: Plays the street-smart Izzy (below) in Imperfect Lee is feeling stressed. I have 131 days to my A-level exams, she announces. And with a heavy load of biology, chemistry, mathematics and geography, it is little wonder that the Nanyang Junior College student has no filming commitments for this period. While her parents are supportive of her foray into entertainment they just want me to concentrate on my studies right now. She intends to pursue further studies she is interested in being a dietician or taking up mass communication and looks to actors such as Elvin Ng and Joanne Peh as good examples of artists who have successfully juggled acting and academics. She was spotted by MediaCorp scouts during her secondary school days when she took part in Chinese drama. A turn in the youth drama On The Fringe has led to a role in the upcoming movie Imperfect as a typical Singaporean Ah Lian. She describes her movie persona as someone who is superficial and selfish. She is quick to add with a laugh: Its a very different character from myself so I had to do some homework. The homework included observing how others behave and talk. A piece of professional advice she holds dear came from Channel 8 actor Rayson Tan, who said to her: In this industry, the most important thing is to be modest. Once youre modest, youll be able to learn a lot more from others.

THE VETERAN
KIMBERLY CHIA (right), 17 Seen in: Channel 8 youth drama On The Fringe (2011) and romantic comedy film Timeless Love (2012) Her next movie: Plays the kind and hardworking Shanshan (below) in Imperfect. At the age of three, Chia already loved posing for the camera. So much so that her mother took her to a modelling agency. The modelling led to commercials and, eventually, productions such as Channel 5 nostalgia drama Fighting Spider (20092010) and Channel 8 youth drama On The Fringe. Every day of filming, you get to do different stuff and its very interesting. Its not a very fixed job, says the student at Singapore Institute of Management. She looks up to actor Christopher Lee, who was her screen father in the Channel U series Show Hand. She says: Hes really, really good. When you act with him in a scene, you really get pulled into the whole character and whole scene together with him. For honest feedback on her performance, there is nothing like family to tell it like it is. Her father is a chef and her mother is a customer service executive. Says Chia, who has an older brother and a younger sister: My whole family will tell me what they really think. They might say, This part is not as natural. Sometimes, its a bit harsh but Im quite grateful.

THE GROUNDED INGENUE

JULIE TAN (above), 20 Seen in: Channel 8 period drama series A Song To Remember (2011) as the good-hearted singer Jiumei Her movie break: Plays the lead role of a rich junior college student who loves music in Chai Yee Weis nostalgia xinyao drama That Girl In Pinafore The Singapore-based Malaysian actress is already being jokingly hailed as Ah Jie, or Big Sister, by her peers during the Life! photo shoot at MediaCorp. With a film and TV dramas under her belt before turning 21, Tan has achieved the goals she had listed on her blog when she was 15. But for someone on the fast track to stardom, her ego has been kept firmly in check. She recalls that when she came in second in The New Paper New Face contest in 2009, her businessman father had told her: I didnt think you would win. It was not a sarcastic remark but was instead a reminder to stay grounded and humble always, she says. A student at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, she sees acting as a means of tapping into emotions that one might not be able to give vent to in real life. I seldom cry as Im a pretty strong person. But roles sometimes call for me to cry and it feels great to do so. Every time she takes on a different role, she sees herself growing and maturing. After her breakthrough turn in A Song To Remember, her mother said to her: Youre different now. Youve grown up. The only child recalls: She said it very sadly and added, Youre just 19, but it feels like youre no longer that age. Indeed, the thoughtful actress sounds mature beyond her years when she muses: Acting is not just about acting and there are many secrets about life that one can uncover through it. And Im still learning. Neither is acting the be-all and end-all for her. Even now, she is already looking ahead to a point beyond her career. I want to get married and have children even though theres no one at the moment. Im 20, I need to think about where my life is headed. She adds: As a woman, at the end of the day, I think life is incomplete without a family of my own. Maybe in eight years time, when the right guy comes along. Marriage would not mean the end of her acting career, though. She says: I can continue to be an actor after becoming a mother. My life experiences would be richer and I can take on different roles.
PHOTOS: KUA CHEE SIONG, GOLDEN VILLAGE PICTURES

THE ACCIDENTAL ACTRESS

JAYLEY WOO (left), 20 Seen in: Channel U school-themed drama series Jump! (2012) as the boyish and sporty Yen Her movie break: Horror movie Inside The Urn and plays Julie Tans best friend in That Girl In Pinafore She once dreamt of being a figure skater. No one is more surprised than Woo herself that she is now a full-time actress, having been talent-scouted on Facebook by the art director for Jump! who was taken by her spunky short crop. Her spunkiness goes beyond the hairdo. She will be taking part in a horror movie, Inside The Urn, even though she professes that she does not dare to watch the genre. She says: Im just kind of curious to see how it turns out. For someone whos scared of horror flicks, to act in one, thats interesting. Having stumbled into acting, she has now set her sights high. She says: Hopefully, really hopefully, in three to five years time, I can be one of the princesses in MediaCorp. She has already had a taste of the kind of scrutiny her private life might attract if she were to become one of the princesses her romance with actor Edwin Goh was reported by the media. They have since broken up and she plays it cool when asked how she is handling that. She says: I wouldnt call us friends but I guess we are colleagues after all. We might even act again together so its important to be professional. At any rate, she has more than enough attention to handle at the moment. She muses: I thought I would attract guys more with this look but I have girls asking me if Im straight. Thats fine, I guess. I know who I am and what I am.

Tighter movie budgets oust A-list stars

John Lui
Whatever happened to the Singapore movie star? There was a period a few years ago when it seemed as if the luminaries of television among them Zoe Tay, Fann Wong, Christopher Lee, Gurmit Singh and Adrian Pang were poised make the leap to the big screen, and stay up there. But anyone checking out the cast list of films made here this year might go: Who? The best feature-film roles of the year are going to relative unknowns such as Ian Fang, Edwin Goh, Julie Tan, Jayley Woo, Elizabeth Lee and Kimberly Chia. The reasons are many, but money lies at the root of most of them. The heyday of budgets going north of the million-dollar mark is gone, film industry professionals tell Life!. Films these days come in at under a million dollars sometimes much less than the seven-figure mark and are shored up with support from product sponsors. Producer Tan Fong Cheng, 40, says that it is all about doing more with less. She is now putting together a horror film, Inside The Urn, following the success of the military-themed spookfest 23:59 she co-produced last year. The new project, for which she wrote the screenplay, will feature a larger cast, ranging from children to the elderly. Relative newcomer Woo is the female lead. If we used well-known MediaCorp actors in all the parts, we would not be able to afford such a large cast, she says. Shooting starts later this year for a release date timed for next year. Much more is known about the ticket-buying habits of Singapore and Malaysian audiences these days and the result is the rise of the formula film some call it cookie-cutter mass-market pandering, others see it as a long-overdue injection of capitalist professionalism into a film industry that has been too dependent on government handouts. One current formula is a combination of Mandarin dialogue, smaller budgets, an emphasis on the horror genre and heavy marketing, including a vogue in gruelling publicity crawls across the malls, radio and television stations and cinemas of Asia. This automatically rules out the participation of many A-listers from television and the stage. Says producer Lim Teck of Clover Films: A lot of MediaCorp artists are restricted by management to three publicity appearances. If you want them to do more, you have to pay extra. And as in Hollywood or Hong Kong, mention the word horror to stars management in Singapore and Malaysia and they will run a mile in the opposite direction, say producers. The genre is only a few degrees above soft-core pornography in the eyes of those who think they have arrived and is best left to the young and hungry or the old and desperate, say insiders. Horror fans are also much less picky about the cast list. Whether a movie is scary is the first, second and third question fans ask before they hand over the $10 for a ticket, say producers. There is also the delicate question of whether the long-time kings and queens of television can make punters take out their wallets. Fann Wong, possibly Singapores most highprofile actress, was last seen in a movie in 2010s

Happy Go Lucky, a poorly reviewed comedy that pulled in just $223,000 at the Singapore box office. Her previous film, the 2009 romantic comedy The Wedding Game, earned more than $1.6 million locally. That high degree of variability is an indication that there is no such thing as a star with iron-clad bankability in Singapore, according to industry professionals. Stars have to be paired with the right scripts and this rule applies even to the hardworking comic stalwarts Mark Lee or Henry Thia, observers say. Thia, for example, appeared with fellow comic king Gurmit Singh in Phua Chu Kang The Movie (2010, above), a movie that appeared to tick all the right money-making boxes a slapstick comedy trading on a brand-name sitcom character, with veterans in the lead roles. But it bombed, earning only $328,000 in cinemas here. Producer Melvin Angs mm2 Entertainment

helped make Phua Chu Kang. He thinks it is just as unfair to blame a star for a films failure as it is to credit the lead actor for making it a success. He still has faith in Singh and is looking out for new projects for the actor, he says. The industry will always need fresh young faces. At the same time, there will always be a place for older actors. Familiar face Li Nanxing, 47, for example, has a big part playing a father in the upcoming coming-of-age movie, Imperfect. Neither is producer Lim in a hurry to toss all actors over 30 into the bin of movie history. Right now, based on the success of youth-oriented products such as Channel 8 drama On The Fringe, 23:59 and Taiwanese comedy You Are The Apple Of My Eye (2011), casting pretty young faces is very much the in thing. The young ticket-buying audience seem to want to see other young people on screen, he says. And like any workplace, the age bias also has to do with how younger people are cheaper to hire and are more flexible about work conditions. Add to that the fact that, often, experience does not pay off in results. It holds true for both office workers and film stars. Says producer Tan Fong Cheng: In Singapore, whose name on a poster is a big draw? There is no such thing where you pay for a certain actor and its a sure-win at the box office.