http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXcSQYPyZmw
Waste less live more 2D animation that I created with the guidance of lead designer Peter Berrcloth. working on this for 2 months for Internship.
I first watch this before I did any sort of filming just to give me a general idea to decide how I want my film to be conveyed to a wide audience and I found it difficult to pick because of the topics I wanted to discuss, nonetheless it is essential to anticipate how should I direct my own documentary film.
Another basic principle to go by any means is to prepare before and after filming at an event which I struggle to do because for me I had nobody to help me with my documentary film project on the early stages in January 1st 2013, even asking the elders at one point it was possible to meet another film maker who could potentially help me on this project and gather people who are British born Chinese to be interviewed but at a price of £200 to study mandarin Chinese for term 1 at their international language institute which I found risky to do at that time.
http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/preparing-for-an-interview
So it'll explain why I was all over the place with my projects as I continue to look up ways to improve my chances to make this into a successful documentary film and so I looked up certain events which can be seen on my previous blog posts that I came to these events not organise enough to meet these filming stages. Every now and then I e-mail the organisers of those events to get permission which worked out to my favour but when it got down to interviewing people I couldn't express myself why I eagerly as planned as I set out to do. Another thing to reflect on during my travels is that I also find some topics to discuss about even at some point I went to attend to a mah jong event but I was not allowed to film inside a casino to talk thoroughly with the groups I took part in.
At this stage, it felt like all the research of these British Chinese Society events that I attended to seem all rather pointless as I didn't get any decent footage out of it at the same time enjoy the activity occurred as I wanted naturally. Furthermore, I went to these events feeling uncomfortable but not all of them, only one event that went particularly well if it had not been a fellow student Paul assisting as well down at south bank centre, Royal festival hall: chocolate tasting event which can be refer to in my previous blog entries.
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This is one of the main issues that I can easily relate to some of social psychological behaviour amongst the british chinese communities that use english too often and rarely in some cases chose not to speak chinese in public. It all seems like some given paradox at less for me growing up I had trouble balancing the two languages and not effectively using it enough, thus ever since I have a dilemma to use the limited knowledge of Cantonese less often and speaking English had been an everyday norm habit from a person who has not been educated in a Chinese school would definitely find it difficult to switch between the two languages.
In many ways this documentary film connects to me in more then one aspects about the trivial experience of what it's like to be British born Chinese going through these social problems and not utilize the native language fluently. The only thing that put me off was the entire film was all shot inside a kitchen of a chinese takeaway shop also at the end of the conversation it was abit too much with the sound from another Cantonese movie and the fact that it doesn't show the two people talking at all.
In this video an american born Chinese talks from his perspective about how not about to utilize the Chinese language fluently when a situation calls and it goes for anyone that is born Chinese in a different country that felt they don't quite fit in or feel Asian enough to deal with communicating in Chinese in a oriental environment, living in a multi culture society for most of my life it hasn't really bothered me outside as much but it's absurd to communicate with my parents who rarely speaks any good English and I always don't know what to say to them other then basic conversation and I find myself having trouble interpret the two languages to speak my mind in Cantonese with them.
http://www.schoolofwok.co.uk/cookery-classes-london/cookery-class-london/fri-19th-apr-2013-free-demonstration-6pm-7pmcookery-classes-london
Chinese cuisine it sounds easy and looks good when it's cooked and served on the table by someone in any busy restaurant but it's not so easy to imagine to do the same in my eyes. I've seen a lot of people like myself who is british born chinese that refuse or too lazy to cook everyday common, simple Chinese dishes and sticking to pre-packaged food or ordering fast food takeaways.
Something that has been bothering me since I started this documentary project personally for me it was the fact that every place I look up had there own insecurities about not letting anyone film and it's only a few are willing to let you film inside. I wanted to make this documentary film not only about self discovering my own culture but also show the things which I lack and share with like minded individuals who may had the same experience at the same time it's a learning growth as the more I got into it, the more bizarre it got at the same time learning something from meeting those people. Staffs can only try to reason with us as that is their only way because they can't physically remove us by law unless otherwise stated by officials. It's in my nature to see this documentary film production through to the end.
This eventful trip all started off meeting up with Paul outside Waterloo station and then we made our way towards what meant to be meeting up with a group of British Chinese people up in South bank centre nearby ping pong restaurant, I met Amy and a few friends I recognize from a previous event to play mahjong, back to the point I came unprepared as my camera is too lame that requires a dvd record-able plus so I got side track to my objective and if that didn't made things any worse I would've e-mailed the company that I wanted to film on that very day, lucky the security guard women outside let us off as she stated on a sunday they weren't doing any business. the day escalated to almost having my plans foiled but I had a comrade and lucky met these two genuinely nice girls chatting away and so I invited them to particapte in my documentary film project and get to know them spent eventually spent midnight in the Feng sushi restaurant until 9pm.
Further researching into Chinese events that most likely take place within London. I stumbled across this wonderful event that allow me to carefully chose which to attend and what would be suitable for my Documentary film project.
This is a meetup with a few people that were interested in the Chinese culture and language and we got together rather late at 18:30pm as the show didn't start until 19:00pm. We introduce ourselves and got to know some of each other in this event as we got into groups the first item on the menu we made were ..dumplings and got to learn how to fold it the northern hk style and prepare other common dishes what I found a bit of a let down was the fact we had to use electric stoves instead of the using proper chopping cleaver, raw fire and a wok other then that overall, I enjoy the atmosphere and so did everyone who attend winnie's event.
Thanks to Winnie for posting these photos up :)
http://www.meetup.com/ChineseViewfindersClub/photos/12945472/201580612/?a=pu3.2_l
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