JUDGMENT DAY《世界末日》 (2013)
By Derrick Loo
Interview with Tan Yean Loon, Director of Photography
There are plenty of films out there that's about disasters, either by natural forces, epidemics or some kind of alien/ monster invasions that threaten to annihilate all human kind. However, unlike epic films like '2012' or 'The Day After Tomorrow', 'Judgment Day' decides to abandon the usual visual spectacles. It instead focuses its energy on telling stories of a group of individuals who decide to follow their hearts, in light of the imminent end, and having to face the consequences when the world fails to end due to some scientific miscalculations.
Directed by Wang Guoshen and starring a strong ensemble of cast such as Mark Lee, Wang Yu Qing, Richard Low, Rebecca Lim, Chua En Lai, Julie Tan, Tender Huang (Taiwan), Alice Ko (Taiwan) as well as the late John Cheng (Ah Nan), this Singapore film is really a drama meets dark comedy. So no, you won't see scenes of our CBD bursting into flames or giant potholes swallowing up Woodlands. Instead, what we get is a film that's very elegantly shot, with beautiful and subtle visuals that showcase the filmmakers' sensibilities.
I managed to catch the Director of Photography of 'Judgment Day', Tan Yean Loon, to share with us on the making of this film.
Derrick Loo (DL): Could you share with us how long was the pre-production for the film?
Yean Loon (YL): Pre-production for the film was a bit sporadic. I first got the call for the film in March, if I remember correctly. And there was a few delays along the way. Overall, I had about 2-3 meetings with the director just reading the script together and about 3-4 days of tech recce.
DL: What was main focus during the pre-production process?YL: I am mainly concerned with storytelling. This was a script that deserved to be told as it was. So I was not overly concerned with colors or funky angles and all that.
DL: Were there any issues that you and your team identify during prep?
YL: We didn't have many issues during the technical recce. Alistair is very experienced and he covered all the bases, asked all the correct questions and made sure our tech crew didn't turn up on set surprised.
DL: Briefly describe your first meeting with the director. Did you know Guoshen before this project or was this the first time collaborating with him?
YL: I first worked with Guoshen on a program called 'Extreme Japan'. We spent 56 days travelling the country. That was way back in 2006, I think. The next time we collaborated was on another infotainment program called 'Spa Seekers'. That was another 30+ days of travelling together. 'Judgment Day' is our first narrative (project) together. From the 'Extreme Japan' days, I found that we were pretty similar in our views on many things. From life to work, and it certainly helps that we both support Liverpool FC!
DL: Describe the creative collaboration process between the director and yourself.
YL: It was a very organic process. We didn't speak much on how it would be shot. I feel that's because we have an implicit trust between the both of us. He knows what I can do and I completely trust his storytelling skills. Most times, I would frame up a shot and he will be fine. There were a few shots that he specifically wanted a certain framing and I was most happy to go along. Like I've said, I have faith in his vision.
DL: Was there any other forms of collaborations with other departments (eg. Art, Wardrobe, Post etc) that you would like to share?
YL: I worked pretty closely with the Art department to build in practicals onto the set. With the recent advancement in camera and post production technology, it is getting easier to use less and smaller lighting fixtures.
The story depended a lot on the actors' performances so I wanted to make sure they had room to move and also not spend too much time waiting for re-lighting of the set.
DL: How did you select the camera of choice for the film?
YL: The camera of choice was down to budget. I had opted for the ARRI Alexa but, of
course, it was cost-prohibitive. Having said that, the RED Epic produces gorgeous pictures as well.
DL: What frame rate did you shoot the film on?
YL: We shot 24 FPS. It was an easy decision. No drama on that decision.
DL: How many days did the principal photography take, including the Cambodia segment?
YL: Principal photography took about 22 days and then there were like 3 days of pickups and b-rolls.
DL: What are some of the most memorial scenes that you like best?
YL: I enjoyed the whole red light district shoot. Mostly because, we shot in a real brothel! And business was going on as usual while we shot in the room. Also, the alley behind the brothel was really gorgeous. The textures on the walls, the overhead street lamps really made it easy for me.
Cambodia was also very nice. The art department did a fantastic job with the construction of the village. And working with explosives is always fun!
DL: What T-stop do you usually light to and why?
YL: I like to work with less lights. Normally I shoot between T2-2.8. We had a fair few scenes at T1.3. You can imagine the job Jeremy Chua (1st Camera Assistant) had to do. And he did it fantastically well!
I just felt that this story had to be focused on the actors. So I was going for a really shallow depth. It's not the same for everything I shoot. But the shallow depth seemed appropriate for this story.
DL: The sets all looked very natural, almost seemingly unlit. Is that a conscious choice? And why?
YL: We shot a lot on location. I guess, it's partly because of budget. We certainly didn't have time to construct sets. That said, in this case, I like working on location. It gives a sense of realism that's difficult to achieve on a sound stage. And that was appropriate for our story. Real people with real problems.
That was the direction I was aiming for. Just real. If it's gritty, it's gritty. If it's dark, it's dark. So we just accentuated the existing lights with a bit of our own. Alistair (gaffer) has to take a lot of the credit for that. His crew and himself were excellent at "realistic" lighting.
DL: Who is your equipment vendor for camera and lighting equipment?
YL: We got our equipment from BLH (Bert Lighting House), who is also our investor. So all the camera and lighting gear was from there.
DL: Any technical details you would like to share that you discover during the shoot?
YL: The horror of IR pollution!! We had a scene where Mark Lee's black jeans
turned light purple from stacking too much NDs! I would advise people to
be careful with that. Always have a hot mirror handy or IRNDs.
DL: Who were in your crew and share a bit of their contributions to your work and the film.
YL: Camera department was Jeremy Chua (1st Camera Assistant) and Adam (2nd Camera Assistant/DIT). Both of them were outstanding; always thinking ahead, constantly asking questions. They never want to be caught lacking. They give me a sense of security because I'm not always the most prepared! Jeremy had a tough job especially when i say, "Full Open". And we were shooting Zeiss Master Primes!
We had Meng Fye (Wong) and Amandi (Wong) come in a day each for 2nd unit. And Adam would then go over and assist them. Amandi and Meng Fye was easy to get along and work with. No problems there.
Lighting was Alistair Chang (Gaffer), William Eng (Best Boy), Jake Yeo and Din (Grips). We had a few junior grips on a couple of days. There were all a talented and easy-going bunch. Obviously, Alistair comes with a lot of experience. The sense of realism in the lighting setups I wanted came all from him. He's quite the master at that. The rest of the guys were also very adept at their responsibilities.
Key grip was Malik. He was replaced for 4-5 days by Miguel as he had to leave for another job. We all know what Malik is capable of. Nothing is impossible if you give him time and the necessary resources. Miguel also was very positive. He operated the Jimmy Jib for two days. Although on the first day, we couldn't use the remote head because of a missing cable. Nevertheless, we did what we could with what we had and the shot actually ended up in the final cut!
Just a quick note on my choice of crew. I personally feel camaraderie is very important on any set. So that was an important criteria for me. It helped that the people I get along with are good at what they do!! The most important thing for me is that we all had a great time shooting the film.
DL: With the RED EPIC, what compression level did you use? What aspect ratio did you shoot with?
YL: We were shooting at 5:1, if i remember correctly. The (acquisition) aspect ratio was 1.9:1, cropped in post to 2.35 : 1. I had originally wanted to shoot the film in 2.35 : 1 aspect ratio. Just thought the close-ups won't be so jarring and also, i was thinking of the nice landscapes in Cambodia. Then Ian Wee (previously from Widescreen Media) suggested shooting the full sensor so I could pan and scan in post, if it's needed. I'm really grateful for that advice because I did a bit of panning and scanning in grading!
DL: What lenses were used and why did you choose these lenses?
YL: Zeiss Master Primes. It was an easy choice. T1.3! And (they) remains pretty sharp there! Originally, i wanted to use the older Zeiss Superspeeds (I had used it for a promo before and loved its organic look), but after testing it, I realized it was just too soft wide opened. So when BLH came in, I asked for the Master Primes right away.
(Yean Loon later revealed that the Cambodia segment was shot with a Cooke 25-250mm lens at 4k resolution due to port holing issues when shot with 5k. Despite that lens' age, the images captures cut very well with those of Master Primes.)DL: How many days did you and your crew shoot in Cambodia? Which crew went with you in this leg of the shoot?
YL: We were 6 days in Cambodia. Shot 3 days. The camera department together with Alistair, William and Malik travelled there.
DL: What is your experience shooting in Cambodia and working with their crew?
YL: The rental house was pretty decent in Phnom Penh. I was surprised. We had ARRI 18ks and 12ks HMIs at our disposal. Together with Panther dollies and cranes. The crew was also very experienced having worked on Hollywood feature films such as 'Lara Croft'.
DL: I also noticed a fair bit of handheld shots were employed after the world fails to end. What was your creative intent behind this?
YL: My intention was to create a feeling of unease. The world had survived the meteorite so we should be rejoicing right? But these people were not. Their world was somehow crumbling..I thought the camera movement had to reflect that.
DL: I understand that you all graded the film in Kantana (Thailand). What was the experience like for you?
YL: It was a a bit difficult communicating your thoughts with another person who's not conversant in English. But there were not too many scenes that required work. We were mostly just balancing out exposures and taking some colors out. So it worked out well, I guess.
I take the colorist as my partner like all the crew and cast and I value their inputs. So perhaps, it would have been more comfortable with someone who can speak your language I guess. Nonetheless, our colorist was very patient and added some thoughts which I felt helped the visuals.
DL: Was the film finished in 2k or 4k? What platform was the film graded on?
YL: We finished in 2k. The grading was done with Da Vinci Resolve and we graded off the R3Ds directly.
DL: Did you use a film emulation LUT during grade? If yes, are there any limitations in your opinion?
YL: We actually just graded off RedLogFilm without a LUT. I was a bit concerned at first. But when they arranged a DCP to be screened in their theatre the next day, I was very pleased with how close it was to what I saw in the coloring suite.
There were some problems with the film print they showed. That was more a lab problem. They corrected it after I left.
DL: Last but not least, any other interesting stories you have during the filming of this film that you would like to share?
YL: The customers walking in and out of the brothel while we were shooting was
very amusing. The director's monitor was place in the room next to the set
and after a while, he noticed that everyone was squeezing into the room
with him. He asked why, and they said they could hear grunting and moaning
in the corridor!
*All still images courtesy of Galaxy Entertainment (S) Pte Ltd.
Big thanks to Wang Guoshen and Tan Yean Loon.
