Production Diaries:
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
Recent Entries:
HUNDREDS GATHER TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE LATE MAKO IWAMATSU IN CAGES!
Wed, 14 Nov 2007
A SPECIAL TRIBUTE SCREENING OF MAKO!
Tue, 16 Oct 2007
Perles Acquires Cages Distribution!
Wed, 01 Aug 2007
"CAGES" RUNS 4TH WEEK IN THEATRES!
Fri, 13 Apr 2007
IT'S MY TURN TO FLY!
Mon, 09 Apr 2007
"CAGES" SURPRISES MANY AS IT ENTERS THIRD WEEKEND IN THEATRES!
Fri, 06 Apr 2007
"CAGES" ENTERS THIRD WEEK IN THEATRES!
Tue, 03 Apr 2007
LOYAL FOLLOWING TO THANK, AS "CAGES" ENTERS THIRD WEEK IN THEATRES!
Mon, 02 Apr 2007
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It's Only Monday
06/28/04
Wow. It’s already Monday? Where has the time gone? Two weeks have passed since returning to Singapore for the last and final run of this project. Almost four years in planning have built up to this point, and the mere thought that this trip would be the one I finally get to shoot the film has been nothing short of a fantasy. I was warmly welcomed by the team whom most of which I had only met in fragmented introductions, and for some, it was my first time.
Since arriving, two quick weeks have already passed. If this is any indicator of how time will tick before shooting, I can say I’m terrified. I can count the times on one hand that I’ve even taken time to go out of the building to grab dinner or take a walk to get fresh air. Most of the days have been consumed with reviewing art direction, location photos, and wardrobe issues.
A day goes really quickly. Tania, who is the producer, spends most of her time on the telephone, trying to get contracts and details taken care of. She’s one of the first ones to show up and usually the last to leave. Her office has been turned into a war room, so when things get crazy, she sometimes come to the back room, where I am living, to get away for a few minutes. Other than that, she’s doing her thing, and I’m doing mine. I can only image I will see her less and less as the weeks proceed toward shoot date.
Wardrobe is working around the clock. With a very deliberate strategy to dressing the characters, every actor has different challenges. This week has mostly been searching, reviewing and negotiating various fabrics based on design colors and patters per actor. For our lead actress, we are working with a famous Singaporean designer who will be bringing in a classic traditional clothing concept and creating a hybrid which will be new and original, and allow the actor to evolve over the duration of the story in a seamless and organic way.
Casting has their work cut out. Literally every extra is being looked at, in addition to the various minor roles that need to be filled. Short, tall, fat and thin, all sorts of real people are what we are going for. Besides that, Singapore has an impressive assortment of racial backgrounds, so Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Chinese, and British all constitute the make up of casting considerations.
Art department has it the hardest. This is their week to really get the ball rolling. And in our case, the ball will actually be swinging. In a few days time, they are planning on knocking down walls and rebuilding one of our major locations. This location will function as two important sets during the shoot. Luckily, it’s an old building which still has the classic charm and layout of the traditional architecture of its time. The art department will rebuild it and bring it back to life, recreating a timeless version of Singapore along the way.
But then again, it’s only Monday.
Graham Streeter
Director
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