Interview with Yasu and Bea Tanaka: Mr Hassan Muthalib used a perfect word to describe the work I attempted;
Landscape vs Mindscape
– Courtesy of Asian Movie Pulse, Nov 12, 2018
Film Review: NOTA by Yasu Tanaka
– Courtesy of Asian Movie Pulse, Nov 5, 2018
Pembikinan Semula Filem Malaysia – Terbalik (Upside Down) Untuk 34 Negara Seluruh Dunia
Syarikat penerbitan yang memenangi Anugerah Malaysia untuk filem NOTA, 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd yang diasaskan oleh Yasu dan Bea Tanaka, secara rasminya mengumumkan perjanjian mereka dengan Ivanhoe Pictures iaitu sebuah syarikat Hollywood, untuk filem mereka TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN yang merupakan sebuah filem Malaysia di Pawagam Mini P. Ramlee, FINAS Hulu Klang. Perjanjian ini telah melakar sejarah Malaysia kerana ia menandakan yang pertama kali terjadi! Wow perjanjian apa ni?
Skrip asal TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN adalah hasil karya Yasu Tanaka, iaitu juga pengarah dan penulis NOTA. Filem NOTA yang diterajui oleh Maya Karin, telah memenangi Anugerah Skrin Terbaik untuk Festival Filem Malaysia 2016 (FFM28) manakala Maya Karin juga memenangi Anugerah Pelakon Terbaik untuk Anugerah Skrin 2016.
Ivanhoe Pictures telah membaca skrip TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN semasa Forum Pembiayaan Asia Hong Kong (HAF) 2017 dan telah memperoleh hak pembikinan semula untuk mereka di 34 negara termasuk Amerika Utara, Perancis, United Kingdom, China, Korea Selatan, Sepanyol, Amerika Latin, India dan Vietnam. Pengeluaran filem pembuatan semula berdasarkan senario asal TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN akan bermula di Amerika Syarikat pada tahun 2018.
Ivanhoe Pictures iaitu sebuah syarikat SK Global adalah sebuah filem dan pembiayaan televisyen serta entiti pengeluaran, yang membangun, menghasilkan, dan memperoleh kandungan untuk penonton global. Selain menghasilkan filem hit Korea dengan Fox International Productions tahun lalu THE WAILING, Ivanhoe juga bekerjasama dengan Beijing Hairun Pictures untuk MY OTHER HOME, yang ditayangkan pada Festival Filem Antarabangsa Shanghai 2017 dan dikeluarkan di China pada 4 Ogos. Ivanhoe juga sedang dalam proses pengeluaran CRAZY RICH ASIANS, yang diarah oleh Jon Chu dan akan dikeluarkan di seluruh dunia oleh Warner Bros pada awal tahun 2018.
Walaupun TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN masih belum dimulakan penggambaran, 42nd Pictures mengesahkan bahawa storyboard filem ini telah ditetapkan. Filem ini berjaya memenangi Anugerah Penghasilan Aurora Media, dengan memperolehi SGD20,000, semasa Forum Pembiayaan Asia Tenggara (SAFF) 2016 yang diadakan di Singapura.
TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN juga telah tersenarai pendek untuk Forum Pembiayaan Asia Hong Kong (HAF) 2017 yang menjadikannya satu-satunya projek Malaysia daripada 24 projek yang akan disenarai pendek tahun ini. TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN, sebuah filem berbahasa Melayu sepenuhnya, mempunyai potensi bernilai RM12 hingga 16 juta dengan perjanjian dari Ivanhoe Pictures. Filem ini adalah cerita seram yang menakutkan yang menggambarkan kisah seorang pelakon yang terperangkap dalam bangkai kereta terbalik di dalam hutan dan diseksa oleh sekumpulan lelaki yang kejam dan sadis. TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN akan dihasilkan oleh Bea Tanaka dan diarahkan oleh Yasu Tanaka, dan dibintangi oleh Bront Palarae. Acara itu turut dihadiri oleh Dato’ Azmir Saifuddin Muthalib, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah FINAS dan Dato’ Mahyidin Mustakim, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Persatuan Kandungan Kreatif Malaysia (CCAM)
– Courtesy of NEYRASHAZEYRA, Aug 2017
Filem Malaysia-TERBALIK Bakal Dibikin Semula Untuk 34 Buah Negara
Bismillah,
Siapa sangka filem arahan Yasu Tanaka dari Malaysia akan dibikin semula oleh penerbit-penerbit filem daripada 34 buah negara tidak lama lagi. Yasu Tanaka yang juga pernah menghasilkan filem Nota, telah memenangi Anugerah Skrin Terbaik di Festival Filem Malaysia 2016 (FFM28) tahun lalu. Filem arahannya juga telah membuktikan pelakon Maya Karin layak merangkul anugerah Pelakon Wanita Terbaik untuk Anugerah Skrin 2016.
Ivanhoe Pictures, merupakan salah sebuah syarikat yang melibatkan penerbitan filem, pembiayaan siaran televisyen serta entiti pengeluaran yang mana ia berfungsi sebagai entiti pengeluaran yang membangun, menghasilkan dan mendapatkan kandungan serta jalan cerita untuk pasaran global.
Sewaktu di Forum Pembiayaan Hongkong Asia, Ivanhoe Pictures telah membaca skrip filem TERBALIK/UPSIDE DOWN dan berminat untuk mendapatkan hak pembikinan semula filem tersebut untuknya di 34 buah negara seperti Amerika Utara, Perancis, United Kingdom, China, Korea Selatan, Sepanyol, Amerika Latin, India dan Vietnam. Amerika Syarikat bakal mengambil langkah awal memulakan pembikinan filem TERBALIK pada tahun 2018 dengan mengekalkan senario seperti jalan cerita asal.
John Penotti, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif dan Presiden Ivanhoe Pictures memberitahu yang beliau gembira untuk bekerjasama dengan 42nd Pictures untuk filem TERBALIK. Beliau yang ditemui baru sahaja menghabiskan masa selama setahun di Malaysia bagi menyiapkan penggambaran filem Crazy Rich Asian.
Filem TERBALIK arahan Yasu Tanaka yang dibintangi oleh pelakon hebat tanahair, Bront Palarae ini pada aku mempunyai jalan cerita yang unik dan menarik. Kalau korang pernah menyaksikan filem BURIED arahan Rodrigo Cortes, korang boleh agak plot dan jalan cerita filem TERBALIK ini. Filem berdurasi 80 minit ini bergenre psycho thriller, mengisahkan tentang seorang pelakon terkenal negara yang mengalami masalah rumahtangga terlibat dalam kemalangan jalanraya di sebuah kawasan peegunungan sewaktu dalam perjalanan ke lokasi penggambaran. Keretanya terbalik dan dia sendiri terperangkap di dalamnya, di dalam hutan.
Tiada air, tiada makanan dan kehilangan banyak darah dia terdesak meminta pertolongan. Tiada signal telefon, hon kereta yang tak berfungsi dan enjin kereta yang tidak boleh dihidupkan menyukarkan lagi untuknya meloloskan diri. Seorang budak datang cuba memberikan bantuan tetapi dia tak tahu yang nyawanya bakal menjadi taruhan dan permainan skrip yang dilakonkannya sendiri.
Nak tahu kesudahan filem ini. Jangan lupa saksikannya nanti di pawagam-pawagam berhampiran di seluruh negara.
– Courtesy of Mohd Norafzal bin Narawi, Aug 2017
Bront takes on unique challenge
Actor Bront Palarae finds he’s landed an ‘upside down’ role in Yasu and Bea Tanaka’s thriller to be filmed in March
FILMMAKERS Yasu and Bea Tanaka will soon make a film which has a scene showing Bront Palarae trapped, upside down, in a car. The couple’s last project was Nota, which starred Hans Isaac and Maya Karin as a couple whose marriage was on the rocks, in Bako National Park, Sarawak,
Bea reveals that the thriller, to be filmed next year, will be a gruesome one — he slices his earlobes to reduce blood pressure on his head to stay alive. Yikes!
Titled Terbalik, it will be called Upside Down for international release. Bront will play Brian Pereria, a successful actor who meets with a car accident and stuck upside down for three quarters of the film.
“Brian has a horrific accident after a bad day at work and ends up trapped upside down in a ravine in the middle of a secluded jungle. Badly injured and in great pain, he seeks help from three teenage boys living nearby but they torment him instead,” says Yasu, who is from Tokyo. He has 20 years of experience as a director and screenwriter.
Yasu reveals that the storyline came to him one day suddenly out of the blue; the script was developed last year with his wife, who is from Kuala Lumpur.
“We see cars overturn on the big screen in action films, but there haven’t been films about people trapped upside down, so we promptly got to work.”
Bea, who taught English to deaf students at Sekolah Menengah Teknik Krian in Bagan Serai, Perak, adds that it’s a chilling situation to be in. “Its title literally explains Brian’s physical condition but it also alludes to the irony of a famous star suddenly being at the mercy of three unruly teenagers!”
Terbalik may bring novelist Stephen King’s Misery to mind, where an author is rescued from a car crash by a sadistic nurse who later tortures him in her house. “It’s good for Terbalik to be likened to a Stephen King thriller, but Brian is not the victim of psychotic people. The boys are not evil but naughty youngsters delighted that a star has ‘dropped’ by their neighbourhood,” says Bea.
She adds that the boys, who live far from Brian’s world of glamour, feel empowered and take the opportunity to make their own film featuring him, for social media viewing. “To them, Brian’s predicament is an opportunity to play games. Little do they realise he is fighting for his life,” she says.
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
The Tanakas discussed Terbalik with Bront last year and he was intrigued with the storyline and character.
“Bront loved it, since it was an out of the ordinary challenge and exemplified the spirit of survival. He felt Brian’s plight will have viewers rooting for him,” says Yasu who has conducted screenwriting workshops at the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) for a decade.
Yasu admits that they created Brian with Bront in mind. “We’ve both known him for more than five years and admired his on-screen versatility and intense acting,” he says.
Bea adds: “Bront always pushes his boundaries as an actor.”
The Tanakas, who own 5-year-old film company 42nd Pictures, revealed they will harness Bront to a revolving chair to enable filming him upside down. “We’ll have him strapped firmly to this special chair and he’ll be rotated back to ground position every few minutes. Nobody can survive being upside down continuously for a really long period,” says Bea.
Terbalik will be in Malay with a smattering of English. “Bront speaks to the boys kampung-style.
SCRIPTING SUCCESS
Terbalik will be filmed over 20 days in the Klang Valley in March 2018, and US production company Ivanhoe Pictures recently purchased the remake rights to the film.
Bea says: “Ivanhoe is Hollywood-based and plans to have local adaptations of our screenplay made in 34 countries. We’re delighted with the deal since it’ll put a Malaysian script on the world map!”
They chose to make another thriller after 2015’s Nota because the genre is popular with global audiences. “Having lived in Hollywood for a year in 2009, we’ve met lots of producers and directors and learnt that horrors and thrillers sell,” says Bea.
Yasu, a film graduate from California State University in the US, who has worked in Hollywood and Tokyo, says Nota’s Best Screenplay win at the 28th Malaysian Film Festival last year was a major incentive for them to make Terbalik.
“Nota is dark and talks about a traumatised wife, while Terbalik showcases the struggle of a man to stay alive. We love films about human emotions, and plan to make more films which speak of humans who defy the odds.”
Bea, who graduated in special education from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), says they plan to produce Ice Show, a family drama based on Yasu’s younger days.
“Yasu was an ice skater who was supposed to represent Japan in the Winter Olympics 1984 held in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, he suffered an injury while training.”
The Tanakas always believe in making films for the international market, because going global is a test of “where they truly stand”.
“Going global is the best gauge of our standards. It’s good to aim high in life!” says Bea, who together with Yasu, were met at an announcement event for the film at Finas in Hulu Klang.
Also present were Finas deputy director-general Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Muthalib and Creative Content Association of Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Mahyidin Mustakim.
– Courtesy of Dennis Chua from New Straits Times, Aug 28, 2017
Ivanhoe Pictures Signs Deal With 42nd Pictures For ‘Upside Down’
U.S.-based production company Ivanhoe Pictures signed a deal with 42nd Pictures to acquire the adaptation rights of Terbalik (Upside Down), for 34 countries. Terbalik (Upside Down) is an original screenplay by Yasu Tanaka, director and writer of the film Nota. Ivanhoe Pictures acquired the adaptation rights for countries including France, China, Spain, and India, among others. Production for these adaptations will begin in the U.S. in 2018.
– Courtesy of VideoAge, Aug 22, 2017
Ivanhoe acquires remake rights to Malaysian horror ‘Upside Down'(exclusive)
Ivanhoe Pictures has reached an agreement with Malaysia’s 42nd Pictures for remake rights to the company’s upcoming horror thriller Upside Down (Terbalik).
Scripted by 42nd Pictures co-founder Yasu Tanaka, the film tells the story of an actor who gets trapped upside-down in car wreckage following an accident in the jungle, and is tortured by a group of sadistic boys. The Malaysian version will star local actor Bront Palarae, whose credits include domestic hits Ola Bola and Nova.
Ivanhoe read the script for Upside Down at this year’s Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) and acquired remake rights for 34 countries, including North America, France, UK, China, South Korea, Spain, Latin America, India and Vietnam. Production on the US version is expected to start in 2018.
Yasu Tanaka, who co-founded 42nd Pictures with Bea Tanaka, previously wrote and directed psychological thriller Nota, which won best screenplay at Festival Film Malaysia 2016.
Ivanhoe is currently in production on Crazy Rich Asians, which was partly filmed in Malaysia. Directed by John Chu, the film will be released worldwide by Warner Bros in early 2018.
Elsewhere in Asia, Ivanhoe recently partnered with Fox International Productions on Korean horror thriller The Wailing and with Beijing Hairun Pictures on Stephon Marbury biopic My Other Home.
John Penotti, CEO and president of Ivanhoe Pictures, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with 42nd Pictures on their remake of Upside Down / Terbalik. We’ve just spent a year in Malaysia preparing and shooting our major motion picture Crazy Rich Asians and we had a terrific time in Malaysia.”
He continued: “Yasu and Bea have become friends and our business colleagues and with the remake of Upside Down / Terbalik, we’re going to get an opportunity to continue our work with our Malaysian partners.”
The Malaysian version of the film, which is tentatively scheduled to start shooting early next year, won the Aurora Media Producing Award at Singapore’s South-East Asia Financing Forum (SAFF) 2016.
– Courtesy of Liz Shackleton from Screen Daily, Aug 22, 2017
Horror flick to have U.S. adaptation
FILMING for Terbalik/Upside Down will only begin early next year, but this new local horror-thriller has already received much interest from United States-based financier and production company Ivanhoe Pictures.
It recently purchased the remake rights to the film, marking a milestone for the local film industry, especially so for its film producers — 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd.
“We’re thrilled that the screenplay for Terbalik/Upside Down has managed to attract Ivanhoe Pictures’s interest.
“We’ve always wanted our projects to go global.
“Clinching this deal is an incentive for us to write more screenplays for the international film market,” said its co-founder and producer Bea Tanaka at a press conference to announce the new film and the deal, at Finas in Hulu Klang on Friday.
The deal with the Hollywood-based company sees local adaptations of Terbalik/Upside Down being made in 34 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, South Korea, Spain, India and Vietnam.
Kuala Lumpur-born Bea, who started 42nd Pictures with her Japanese husband film director Yasu Tanaka, said: “We pitched the idea of Terbalik/Upside Down at the Hong Kong Asia Financing Forum 2017 last March, and it was the only Malaysian project out of 24 projects shortlisted.
“Ivanhoe Pictures’s representatives at the forum expressed interest in acquiring the remake rights,” said Bea, adding that they were lucky to have met them.
Ivanhoe Pictures is the company behind the upcoming comedy film, Crazy Rich Asians, which stars Malaysian actors Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh and Henry Golding.
Yasu, who has 20 years’ experience as a screenwriter in Hollywood and has lived in Kuala Lumpur for a decade said, Terbalik/Upside Down would star award-winning actor Bront Palarae as Brian Pereria, a successful but temperamental actor.
The story revolves around Brian who gets into a car accident, and is trapped “upside down” in a ravine in the middle of a jungle. Injured and in pain, Brian seeks help from three teenage boys who live nearby but they are sadistic bullies who torment him.
Yasu, who won Best Screenplay at last year’s Malaysian Film Festival for the 2015 thriller Nota, said Terbalik/Upside Down would have a potential value of RM12 million to RM16 million, courtesy of the agreement with Ivanhoe Pictures.
Bea said horrors and thrillers were popular with international audiences, and thus, she and Yasu opted for this genre in Terbalik/Upside Down.
“Having lived in Hollywood for a year in 2009, we’ve met producers and directors and learnt that horrors and thrillers sell.”
Ivanhoe Pictures’s chief executive officer John Penotti said they were delighted to be partnering 42nd Pictures and described Terbalik/Upside Down as an engaging thriller with characters whom audiences around the world could relate to.
National Film Development Corporation (Finas) director-general Datuk Fauzi Ayob said this partnership would elevate the Malaysian film industry to the world stage.
Present at the event were Finas deputy director-general Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Muthalib and Creative Content Association of Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim.
– Courtesy of Dennis Chua from New Straits Times, Aug 22, 2017
Terbalik | Upside-Down
Official announcement & press conference of Malaysian Feature Film Script..
‘Terbalik’ Making National History, as the first to be Adapted & Remade in over 30 countries worldwide!~
Deal announcement by Director & Producer, Yasu & Bea Tanaka of 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd
Terbalik / Upside down, is an original screenplay written by Yasu Tanaka, the director and writer of NOTA. The film NOTA nabbed the Best Screenplay award for Festival Film Malaysia 2016 (FFM28). While Maya Karin playing the lead actress role, won the Best Actress Award, for Anugerah Skrin 2016.
Video message by John Penotti, President of IvanHoe Pictures (USA)..
Ivanhoe Pictures read the script of Terbalik during Hong Kong Asia Financing Forum (HAF) 2017, and has acquired the remake rights for it, in 34 countries which includes North America, France, United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Spain, Latin America, India and Vietnam.The production of the remake movies, based on Terbalik’s original screenplay, will commence with United States of America in 2018.
Showcase of Pre-Production of ‘Terbalik, with the lead actor’s video message…Bront Palarae..
Although Terbalik / Upside Down,as yet to be produced 42nd Pictures affirms that, the storyboard has already been set. The film has managed to garner the Aurora Media Producing Award securing them SGD20,000, during the South-East Asia Financing Forum(SAFF) 2016 held in Singapore.
Terbalik has also made it into the shortlist, for Hong Kong Asia Financing Forum (HAF) 2017, being t he only Malaysian project out of the 24 projects to be shortlisted this year.
Terbalik,a fully Malay-language movie has a potential value of RM12 to 16 million, with agreement from Ivanhoe Pictures. This movie is a horror thriller, that depicts the story of an actor who gets trapped in an upside-down car wreckage in the jungle and is tortured by a group of sadistic boys.
Terbalik/Upside Down will be produced by Bea Tanaka and Directed by Yasu Tanaka starring Bront Palarae.
– Courtesy of Kylie Wenn from cre8tone, Aug 21, 2017
‘Terbalik’ Tembusi Platform Pasaran Global
Hulu Kelang, 18 Ogos – Majlis sidang media pengumuman penerbitan filem ‘Terbalik’ terbitan 42nd Pictures Sdn. Bhd telah diadakan bertempat di Pawagam Mini P.Ramlee FINAS hari ini. Kejayaan filem pertama ‘Nota’ memenangi anugerah Lakonlayar Terbaik untuk penerbitnya, Bea Tanaka di Festival Filem Malaysia ke 28 dan Pelakon Wanita Terbaik yang dirangkul Maya Karin di Anugerah Skrin 2016 ternyata terus menyuntik semangat buat pasangan Bea dan Yasu Tanaka mengorak langkah menembusi pasaran global.
Di majlis yang sama, perjanjian kerjasama strategik yang termeterai bagi hakcipta adaptasi naskhah Terbalik yang bakal dibintangi Bront Palarae ini ke 34 buah negara di seluruh dunia (remake rights) ini melalui syarikat produksi Hollywood, Ivanhoe Pictures dijangka akan membina platform untuk filem tempatan meneroka pasaran kandungan yang lebih fokus dan meluas di peringkat antarabangsa. Kejayaan projek ‘Terbalik’ melalui potensi genre thriller seram, cerita asal dan pembangunan skripnya mengenai seorang lelaki yang terperangkap di dalam bangkai kereta terbalik dan mengalami detik-detik mencemaskan dan sadis ini terlebih dahulu telah memenangi hadiah dana pelaburan $20,000 dari Aurora Media Holdings sempena kejayaan di Southeast Asia Film Financing Project (SAFF) selain disenarai pendek di 15th Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) 2016 yang lalu.
Turut hadir bersama pada majlis sidang media tersebut ialah Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Pengurusan) FINAS, YBhg. Dato’ Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif CCAM, YBhg. Dato’ Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim dan juga rakan media.
– Courtesy of FINAS, Aug 21, 2017
“Terbalik” to get remake in 34 countries
21 Aug – “Terbalik” (“Upside Down”) made history in the local film industry by being the first Malaysian movie to sign with Ivanhoe Pictures, a financing and production company based in the US, for its remake rights to be available for thirty-four countries worldwide.
Director Yasu Tanaka claims the deal will place local movies on a global platform while proving the capability of the country’s movies to attract the attention of foreign film producers.
“When we were at the Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) in Hong Kong, we were approached by representatives of Ivanhoe Pictures who have read the script and expressed their hopes for the remake rights which will be available for thirty-four countries,” he says during the press conference of “Terbalik” at Finas, Hulu Kelang recently.
According to Yasu, some of the countries that will be involved with the film’s remake are North America, France, United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Spain, Latin America, India and Vietnam.
Bea Tanaka, 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd producer and wife of the filmmaker, also expresses her excitement for the foreign attention that the remake is garnering despite it not being made yet.
When asked about the remake deals’ details, Bea informs that her company will receive a certain percentage of the overall film cost for every remake and also another certain percentage from its global box office revenue.
“Terbalik” tells the story of a famous actor Brian (Bront Palarae), who is involved in a car accident in the mountainside en route to his shooting site. As his car is flipped upside down following its fall off the cliff, Brian finds himself unable to move with his legs stuck inside the car. Brian cries for help as he sees a teenager pass by, but soon finds his relief to be short-lived as the teenager returns with his brother and friend the next day to torture him.
The “Terbalik” remake is set to begin production later this year.
– Courtesy of The Hive Asia, Aug 21, 2017
“Terbalik” bakal diterbitkan di 34 negara
21 Ogos – Filem tempatan “Terbalik” telah mencipta sejarah dalam industri filem tempatan apabila menjadi filem tempatan pertama yang menandatangani dengan syarikat kewangan pembiayaan dan pengeluaran, Ivanhoe Pictures untuk memperolehi hak pembuatan semula filem itu untuk 34 negara di seluruh dunia.
Pengarahnya Yasu Tanaka berkata perjanjian ini dapat melonjakkan filem tempatan ke persada antarabangsa sekaligus membuktikan filem tempatan juga mampu menarik perhatian penerbit luar negara.
“Ketika kami berada di Forum Pembiayaan Hong Kong Asia, pihak Ivanhoe Pictures telah membaca skrip filem ini dan menyuarakan hasrat untuk mendapatkan hak pembikinan semula filem ini yang mana ia akan dihasilkan di 34 buah negara,” ujarnya ketika sidang media “Terbalik” di FINAS, Hulu Kelang baru-baru ini.
Menurut Yasu, antara negara yang bakal membuat pembikinan filem “Terbalik” atau judul dalam bahasa Inggerisnya “Upside Down” ini adalah Amerika Utara, Perancis, United Kingdom, China, Korea Selatan, Sepanyol, Amerika Latin, India dan Vietnam.
Sementara itu, penerbit 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd yang juga isteri kepada pengarah Bea Tanaka berkata pihaknya teruja apabila naskhah “Terbalik” ini mendapat perhatian pihak luar biarpun filem itu masih lagi belum dibuat.
Dalam pada itu, ditanya mengenai butiran perjanjian pembikinan semula filem itu, Bea memberitahu bahawa pihaknya akan mendapat sejumlah peratus dari jumlah kos setiap filem yang dibikin semula dan juga sejumlah peratus untuk kutipan box office di seluruh dunia.
“Terbalik” akan menampilkan pelakon hebat tempatan Bront Palarae sebagai peneraju utama.
Ia berkisarkan tentang seorang pelakon terkenal bernama Brian, yang terlibat dalam kemalangan di kawasan pergunungan ketika hendak pergi ke lokasi penggambaran. Keretanya terbalik selepas jatuh ke gaung di mana dia terperangkap dalam kereta dan tidak boleh keluar berikutan kakinya tersepit.
Kemudian, seorang remaja yang lalu ke situ menjumpai pelakon itu di mana dia meminta bantuan tetapi tidak mendapat respon dan remaja itu meninggalkan Brian sebelum keesokan harinya datang bersama abang dan rakannya. Mereka kemudian mula menyeksa Brian.
Filem ini bakal memulakan penggambaran dalam tahun ini juga.
– Courtesy of Ashraf Nasser from Cinema Online, Aug 21, 2017
Upcoming local movie “Terbalik” will get a Hollywood edition
A Hollywood production company has acquired the remake rights of Terbalik, a local film starring Bront Palarae that is due to start shooting next year.
During a press conference and signing ceremony on Aug 18, Ivanhoe Pictures signed a multi-million ringgit agreement with Malaysian production company 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd to adapt the Terbalik screenplay for international audiences in 34 countries including the United States, South Korea, China, Spain and France.
Terbalik is a horror-thriller about a man fighting to survive a horrific car accident and three sadistic boys in a jungle. The screenplay is written by Yasu Tanaka, the director and writer of award-winning psychological drama Nota, released in 2015. The international version will be titled Upside Down.
In a video message shown during the press conference, Bront said he is very excited to be a part of the production, describing it as “unprecedented” for a Malaysian movie.
Ivanhoe Pictures recently wrapped up the filming of its latest Hollywood production Crazy Rich Asians in Singapore and Malaysia. Previously, the company partnered with Fox International Productions to release South Korean horror hit The Wailing.
In a press statement, CEO and president of Ivanhoe Pictures John Penotti said they are delighted for the partnership with 42nd Pictures.
“Yasu and Bea Tanaka (the co-founder of 42nd Pictures) have become friends and business colleagues. With the remake of Terbalik, we’re going to get an opportunity to continue working with our Malaysian partners,” Penotti said.
– Courtesy of Angelin Yeoh from star2.com, Aug 19, 2017
TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN | Malaysian Multi-million Dollar Deal Film Project
For 34 Countries Worldwide | Ivanhoe Pictures and 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd
Malaysian Award-winning, production company renowned for Nota, 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd, founded by Yasu and Bea Tanaka, has officially announced their agreement with Ivanhoe Pictures, a Hollywood company, for their film, TERBALIK/ UPSIDE DOWN, a Malaysian feature film, today at FINAS Hulu Kelang – Pawagam Mini P.Ramlee. This deal has made Malaysian history as it signifies the first of its kind to achieve this feat.
TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN is an original screenplay written by Yasu Tanaka, the director and writer of NOTA. The film NOTA nabbed the Best Screenplay award for Festival Film Malaysia 2016 (FFM28) while Maya Karin, playing the lead actress role, won the Best Actress award for Anugerah Skrin 2016.
This is a fantastic achievement! Have you wonder what is about script writing? It is not an easy job as in script writing need to transform your idea into words and able to express fully your concept. That is not the end. The words in the script must be able to “communicate” and “deliver” the ideas properly. Wow! an eye-opening for mouse mommy!
Ivanhoe Pictures read the script of TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN during Hong Kong Asia Financing Forum (HAF) 2017 and has acquired the remake rights for it in 34 countries which includes North America, France, United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Spain, Latin America, India and Vietnam. The production of the remake movies based on TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN’s original screenplay will commence with United States of America in 2018.
Ivanhoe Pictures (an SK Global company) is a motion picture and television financing and production entity, which develops, produces, and acquires content for a global audience. Besides producing (with Fox International Productions) last year’s Korean hit movie THE WAILING, Ivanhoe is partnered with Beijing Hairun Pictures on CBA star Stephon Marbury biopic MY OTHER HOME, which premiered at the 2017 Shanghai International Film Festival and released in China on August 4. Ivanhoe is also currently in production on the motion picture adaptation of CRAZY RICH ASIANS, directed by Jon Chu, which will be released worldwide by Warner Bros. in early 2018.
John Penotti, CEO and President of Ivanhoe Pictures, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with 42nd Pictures on their remake of TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN. We’ve just spent a year in Malaysia preparing and shooting our major motion picture “Crazy Rich Asians” and we had a terrific time in Malaysia.”
“Yasu and Bea (Tanaka) have become friends and our business colleagues and with the remake of UPSIDE DOWN (TERBALIK), we’re going to get an opportunity to continue our work with our Malaysian partners,” stated John.
The TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN ideas involved in human physiology’s challenge and engineering calculation as well to make it works!
Although TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN has yet to be produced, 42nd Pictures affirms that the storyboard has already been set. The film has managed to garner the Aurora Media Producing Award, securing them SGD20, 000, during the South-East Asia Financing Forum (SAFF) 2016 held in Singapore. TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN has also made it into the shortlist for Hong Kong Asia Financing Forum (HAF) 2017 – being the only Malaysian project out of the 24 projects to be shortlisted this year.
TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN, a fully Malay-language movie, has a potential value of RM12 to 16 million with agreement from Ivanhoe Pictures. This movie is a horror thriller that depicts the story of an actor who gets trapped in an upside-down car wreckage in the jungle and is tortured by a group of sadistic boys. TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN will be produced by Bea Tanaka and directed by Yasu Tanaka, starring Bront Palarae. The event was graced by Dato’ Azmir Saifuddin Muthalib, Deputy Director General of FINAS and Dato’ Mahyidin Mustakim, CEO of Creative Content Association of Malaysia.
Congratulations! We are proud of You! Another great milestones for Malaysian film industry towards international and global exposure!
– Courtesy of Mouse Mommy, Aug 19, 2017
Script for Malaysian film set for Hollywood remake
THE cameras have yet to start rolling for upcoming local film Terbalik, but this horror thriller has already caught the attention of US-based financier and production company Ivanhoe Pictures, which recently purchased the remake rights to the film.
This was announced by husband-and-wife team of Yasu and Bea Tanaka, the founders and producers of 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd, at a press conference today (Aug 18) at the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas).
The Tanakas claim that the deal with Ivanhoe Pictures has a “potential value of RM12 million to RM16 million”.
Ivanhoe Pictures has previously partnered with a few Asian production companies to produce several notable films including last year’s critically-acclaimed Korean horror film The Wailing. The company is currently helping to produce the much-anticipated film adaptation of Singaporean author Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians, part of which is being shot in Malaysia.
The original script for Terbalik was written by Yasu, who will also be directing the Malay-language film starring award-winning actor Bront Palarae. Shooting for the film is slated to start early next year.
The story centres on an actor, played by Bront, who gets in a car accident in the jungle, which has him trapped upside down in the wreckage. He is found by a group of boys, but instead of rescuing him, they decide to torture him and film the act on their cellphones, which they plan to put on the internet.
The dark theme is nothing new for Yasu, who also wrote the script for the psychological thriller Nota (2015), starring Maya Karin and Hans Isaac. The film, which he also directed, nabbed the Best Screenplay award at the 2016 Malaysian Film Festival.
Yasu’s original script for Terbalik was then pitched to representatives of Ivanhoe Pictures during the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum earlier this year.
At the press conference, Bea joked: “”Now, there is pressure on us to produce a better film and we have to make sure the remake cannot be better than the original.”
Bea added that she and her husband had been in discussion with Bront for the last two years to play the lead role in Terbalik.
She explained that the actor will be upside down most of the time in the film, and that he is excited to play such a physically-challenging role, as “Bront loves pushing the boundaries when it comes to acting”.
Ivanhhoe Pictures CEO and president John Penotti, in a video message played during the press conference, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with 42nd Pictures to remake their film Terbalik. We [also] have just spent a year in Malaysia preparing and [shooting] Crazy Rich Asians, and we had a terrific time in Malaysia.
“Yasu and Bea have become friends and business colleagues, and with the remake of Terbalik, we are going to get an opportunity to continue to work with our Malaysian partners.”
The as-yet-untitled remake of Terbalik will reportedly begin shooting late next year, and be distributed in 34 countries.
– Courtesy of Bissme S. from The Sun Daily, Aug 19, 2017
‘Pembikinan Semula’ Filem TERBALIK / UPSIDEDOWN Untuk Pasaran Global
Syarikat penerbitan yang memenangi Anugerah Malaysia untuk filem NOTA, 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd yang diasaskan oleh Yasu dan Bea Tanaka, secara rasminya mengumumkan perjanjian mereka dengan Ivanhoe Pictures iaitu sebuah syarikat Hollywood, untuk filem mereka TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN yang merupakan sebuah filem Malaysia di Pawagam Mini P. Ramlee, FINAS Hulu Klang. Perjanjian ini telah melakar sejarah Malaysia kerana ia menandakan yang pertama kali terjadi! Wow perjanjian apa ni?
Skrip asal TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN adalah hasil karya Yasu Tanaka, iaitu juga pengarah dan penulis NOTA. Filem NOTA yang diterajui oleh Maya Karin, telah memenangi Anugerah Skrin Terbaik untuk Festival Filem Malaysia 2016 (FFM28) manakala Maya Karin juga memenangi Anugerah Pelakon Terbaik untuk Anugerah Skrin 2016.
Ivanhoe Pictures telah membaca skrip TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN semasa Forum Pembiayaan Asia Hong Kong (HAF) 2017 dan telah memperoleh hak pembikinan semula untuk mereka di 34 negara termasuk Amerika Utara, Perancis, United Kingdom, China, Korea Selatan, Sepanyol, Amerika Latin, India dan Vietnam. Pengeluaran filem pembuatan semula berdasarkan senario asal TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN akan bermula di Amerika Syarikat pada tahun 2018.
Ivanhoe Pictures iaitu sebuah syarikat SK Global adalah sebuah filem dan pembiayaan televisyen serta entiti pengeluaran, yang membangun, menghasilkan, dan memperoleh kandungan untuk penonton global. Selain menghasilkan filem hit Korea dengan Fox International Productions tahun lalu THE WAILING, Ivanhoe juga bekerjasama dengan Beijing Hairun Pictures untuk MY OTHER HOME, yang ditayangkan pada Festival Filem Antarabangsa Shanghai 2017 dan dikeluarkan di China pada 4 Ogos. Ivanhoe juga sedang dalam proses pengeluaran CRAZY RICH ASIANS, yang diarah oleh Jon Chu dan akan dikeluarkan di seluruh dunia oleh Warner Bros pada awal tahun 2018.
Walaupun TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN masih belum dimulakan penggambaran, 42nd Pictures mengesahkan bahawa storyboard filem ini telah ditetapkan. Filem ini berjaya memenangi Anugerah Penghasilan Aurora Media, dengan memperolehi SGD20,000, semasa Forum Pembiayaan Asia Tenggara (SAFF) 2016 yang diadakan di Singapura.
TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN juga telah tersenarai pendek untuk Forum Pembiayaan Asia Hong Kong (HAF) 2017 yang menjadikannya satu-satunya projek Malaysia daripada 24 projek yang akan disenarai pendek tahun ini. TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN, sebuah filem berbahasa Melayu sepenuhnya, mempunyai potensi bernilai RM12 hingga 16 juta dengan perjanjian dari Ivanhoe Pictures. Filem ini adalah cerita seram yang menakutkan yang menggambarkan kisah seorang pelakon yang terperangkap dalam bangkai kereta terbalik di dalam hutan dan diseksa oleh sekumpulan lelaki yang kejam dan sadis. TERBALIK / UPSIDE DOWN akan dihasilkan oleh Bea Tanaka dan diarahkan oleh Yasu Tanaka, dan dibintangi oleh Bront Palarae. Acara itu turut dihadiri oleh Dato’ Azmir Saifuddin Muthalib, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah FINAS dan Dato’ Mahyidin Mustakim, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Persatuan Kandungan Kreatif Malaysia (CCAM).
– Courtesy of Syafiera Yamin, Aug 18, 2017
Filem Malaysia Terbalik / Upside Down di’Remake’ Oleh Syarikat Hollywood Untuk Pasaran Global
Bismillah,
Siapa sangka filem arahan Yasu Tanaka dari Malaysia akan dibikin semula oleh penerbit-penerbit filem daripada 34 buah negara tidak lama lagi. Yasu Tanaka yang juga pernah menghasilkan filem Nota, telah memenangi Anugerah Skrin Terbaik di Festival Filem Malaysia 2016 (FFM28) tahun lalu. Filem arahannya juga telah membuktikan pelakon Maya Karin layak merangkul anugerah Pelakon Wanita Terbaik untuk Anugerah Skrin 2016.
Ivanhoe Pictures, merupakan salah sebuah syarikat yang melibatkan penerbitan filem, pembiayaan siaran televisyen serta entiti pengeluaran yang mana ia berfungsi sebagai entiti pengeluaran yang membangun, menghasilkan dan mendapatkan kandungan serta jalan cerita untuk pasaran global.
Sewaktu di Forum Pembiayaan Hongkong Asia, Ivanhoe Pictures telah membaca skrip filem TERBALIK/UPSIDE DOWN dan berminat untuk mendapatkan hak pembikinan semula filem tersebut untuknya di 34 buah negara seperti Amerika Utara, Perancis, United Kingdom, China, Korea Selatan, Sepanyol, Amerika Latin, India dan Vietnam. Amerika Syarikat bakal mengambil langkah awal memulakan pembikinan filem TERBALIK pada tahun 2018 dengan mengekalkan senario seperti jalan cerita asal.
John Penotti, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif dan Presiden Ivanhoe Pictures memberitahu yang beliau gembira untuk bekerjasama dengan 42nd Pictures untuk filem TERBALIK. Beliau yang ditemui baru sahaja menghabiskan masa selama setahun di Malaysia bagi menyiapkan penggambaran filem Crazy Rich Asian.
Filem TERBALIK arahan Yasu Tanaka yang dibintangi oleh pelakon hebat tanahair, Bront Palarae ini pada aku mempunyai jalan cerita yang unik dan menarik. Kalau korang pernah menyaksikan filem BURIED arahan Rodrigo Cortes, korang boleh agak plot dan jalan cerita filem TERBALIK ini. Filem berdurasi 80 minit ini bergenre psycho thriller, mengisahkan tentang seorang pelakon terkenal negara yang mengalami masalah rumahtangga terlibat dalam kemalangan jalanraya di sebuah kawasan peegunungan sewaktu dalam perjalanan ke lokasi penggambaran. Keretanya terbalik dan dia sendiri terperangkap di dalamnya, di dalam hutan.
Tiada air, tiada makanan dan kehilangan banyak darah dia terdesak meminta pertolongan. Tiada signal telefon, hon kereta yang tak berfungsi dan enjin kereta yang tidak boleh dihidupkan menyukarkan lagi untuknya meloloskan diri. Seorang budak datang cuba memberikan bantuan tetapi dia tak tahu yang nyawanya bakal menjadi taruhan dan permainan skrip yang dilakonkannya sendiri.
Nak tahu kesudahan filem ini. Jangan lupa saksikannya nanti di pawagam-pawagam berhampiran di seluruh negara.
– Courtesy of Bro Framestone, Aug 18, 2017
Singapore’s Xtreme Media is a winner at ATF and Screen Singapore for the second year running
SINGAPORE – A documentary about Bhutan and a game show with a fun take on sports are both project ideas from Singapore’s Xtreme Media, a winner two years in a row at the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore.
Last year, it walked away with several prizes, including $20,000 in cash, at the inaugural Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market, with the idea for Happiness Revolution, a documentary about Bhutan’s journey in pursuit of Gross National Happiness.
This year at the same event, it came out tops at the inaugural ATF Formats Pitch for original, non-scripted entertainment formats.
The winning idea, Hit It, was announced on Dec 8. It is planned as a weekly series, with each episode pitting two teams against each other in a series of comedic sports-linked challenges.
Xtreme Media executive producer William Lim, 41, describes it as a mash-up of a wacky Japanese game show and a sports-type show such as American Gladiators. One idea is to have contestants playing volleyball, but on a court smeared with glue.
The production company gets $3,500 in cash and a consultancy package valued at $16,500. Xtreme Media will work with the United Kingdom’s all3media International to develop its idea.
But Mr Lim says that at this point, there is already interest from local and regional broadcasters.
He adds: “I’m honoured and feel quite lucky to be winning two times in a row. We are encouraged by the wins and we hope to do better next time round.”
His company did not participate in this year’s SAFF, which gave out two awards on Dec 9. From a field of 15 finalists, Vietnam’s mob comedy Mamafia won a full audio post-production package worth $50,000 from Imaginex Studios and Basecamp Films, and Malaysian thriller Terbalik, about an actor trapped in an upside-down car wreckage in the jungle and is tortured by a group of sadistic boys, won an investment of $20,000 towards its production project from Aurora Media Holdings.
Terbalik is from the husband-and-wife team director Yasu and producer Bea Tanaka, both 49. Bea Tanaka says: “It’s about how a man survives in a very extreme situation and we think we have come up with an idea that will travel.”
The prize money will come in useful for pre-production and she is targeting to shoot the film in April or May next year.
Of the 10 shortlisted SAFF finalists last year (2015), four projects, including Xtreme Media’s Happiness Revolution, are currently in production and slated for release in 2017.
The project market is a partnership between ScreenSingapore, Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association and Ties That Bind: Asia/Europe Producers Workshops.
– Courtesy of Boon Chan from The Strait Times, Dec 9, 2016
Can you list 10 things you love about Malaysia and its people?
With Merdeka Day just around the corner, it’s time to celebrate all the quirky things we love about being a Malaysian. History (Astro Ch 555) has compiled some of that quirkiness in its one-hour special 10 Things We Love About Malaysians, which premieres Aug 28 at 10pm.
It is hosted by Douglas Lim, who talks to experts and Malaysians on what makes us so unique and behave the way that we do. Lim described the show as a retrospective light-hearted programme where we can laugh together at what sets Malaysians apart from the rest of the world.
You know, like our mixture of English and Bahasa that has become known as Manglish. Or that peculiar and maddening concept of punctuality, “Malaysian time”.
“We are who we are. Can’t change that,” Lim said with a laugh during the press conference held to launch the show.
Lim shared that he and the producers collaborated on the script and the list as well. The team went through several brainstorming sessions to make sure the list consisted of items that were truly unique.
Lim explained: “The whole thing about Malaysia being multicultural – these days, almost all countries are not homogenous anymore. So to be constantly chest-thumping about being multicultural, to be united in our differences, let’s get over that. What else? We needed to identify other things that made Malaysians interesting. Food? Come on! Every country is proud of their food, even those with bad food. That was the biggest challenge. While Malaysians would love everything we came up with, because it’s about us, would other countries find us interesting?”
Lim has celebrity guests like Reshmonu and Harith Iskander on the show for the extra colour. During the show, Lim also gives his two sen worth – or “observational commentary” as he termed it – to ensure that some facts do not rub the audience the wrong way, citing “Malaysian time” as an example.
“We talk about Malaysian timing, but what it is actually is a lack of professionalism. You are being irresponsible, which is something very heavy. So my job is to temper that. Then we have a panel of experts come in to reinterpret the concept of time for a country like Malaysia where we view time as a more stre-e-e-tchy concept.”
However, some topics are no laughing matter, like inconsiderate Malaysian drivers.
“The thing about traffic … there is really no positive way to spin it. We behave like Third World citizens when we get in a car, and behind the wheel: We park anywhere we like. I can understand there are places where you can behave that way, but you are not supposed to do things like that. There is a collective responsibility and rules in place. So we’re actually breaking laws. Motorbike riders putting their handphones in the helmet … ‘hey, that’s cute,’ but they are criminals!”
The show is fast-paced enough that there is no dwelling on one thing too long – be it the good, the bad or the ugly part of being Malaysians.
Lim’s own favourite item on the list is: “People doing charity work on their own without much governmental support or patrons. There are times when Malaysians just band together for a good purpose – in response to a disaster, or just going out and giving food to the homeless.”
He concluded: “At the end of the day, it’s a feel-good show. And we accept certain things are the way they are, that’s just us.”
10 Things We Love About Malaysians is one of three one-hour specials featured under History Asia’s Negaraku Specials, on Sunday at 10pm.
On Sept 4, check out Road To Nationhood which highlights the events behind the formation of our country, featuring previously unseen footage as well as stories of our political leaders in their struggles to achieve independence.
Every Street Tells A Story (Sept 11) has host Umapagan Ampikaipakan walking through a number of famous streets of Kuala Lumpur like Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Raja and Jalan Pudu, learning their histories.
At the same press conference, Umapagan said: “It was eye-opening for me and I think it will be eye-opening for viewers as well. We traverse these streets every day but we know next to nothing about them. So in the show, I talk about the origins of these streets and more importantly, I talk to the people who live and work and spend all of their lives on these streets. This would be a new side of KL, I guarantee it, to a lot of you.
– Courtesy of Mumtaj Begum from Star2, Aug 28, 2016
Telly talk varied Merdeka themed fare
HISTORY, A+E Networks Asia’s leading factual channel, joins in the country’s 59th national day celebration with a programming initiative aligned with the Communications and Multimedia Ministry’s vision to inspire nationalism in Malaysians. The new History Asia Original Productions, featuring locally produced specials, will premiere on History (Astro channel 555) and History HD (Astro channel 575) from Aug 29.
The month’s celebration will be ignited with the premiere of History Asia’s two one-hour specials. First is 10 Things We Love About Malaysians, hosted by comedian Douglas Lim, which explores the funny and unique side of Malaysians, while the nostalgic Every Street Tells A Story is hosted by Umapagan Ampikaipakan, who goes in search of the stories behind popular street names in Kuala Lumpur.
Premiering on Sept 4 and 11 respectively, at 10pm, these programmes form part of History Asia’s broader range of Negara-ku Specials.
Also premiering are three series from History Asia Original Productions.
On Aug 29 at 9.30pm, Jaime Dempsey travels through the Philippines on her motorcycle as she discovers the country’s 7,107 islands in Ride ‘N Seek With Jaime Dempsey: Quest For The Priestess’ Cloak.
This is followed at 10pm by Celebrity Car Wars, a new, unique hour-long action reality series featuring six of Asia’s top celebrities, who pit their driving and car skills against each other.
Celebrity Car Wars features Malaysians, Andrea Fonseka and Alex Yoong as mentors.
Finally, Sept 8 is the third season of Asia’s top reality photography show —Photo Face-Off.
“With three original series and two specials launching in August and September, we have packed History with a plethora of original, locally produced content. We hope that our viewers may deepen their connection and understanding of our diverse continent, heritage and people through these engaging and entertaining series. We are equally excited to bring brand new Malaysian-made originals to the History audience,” said Michele
Schofield, senior vice president of programming and production at A+E Networks Asia.
Tune in to History Asia and celebrate Malaysia’s 59th national day with specially curated programmes every weeknight at 6pm, kicking off on Aug 15 on History (Astro channel 555) and History HD (Astro channel 575).
– Courtesy of Tahir Alhamzah from NST Online, Aug 20, 2016
42nd Pictures-Panasonic to cultivate new filmmakers with Digital Short Film Competition
Local production house, 42nd Pictures joins forces with electronic giant, Panasonic to cultivate the new generation of Malaysian filmmakers though the Panasonic Digital Short Film Competition (PDSFC).
Set to be held in conjunction with this year’s Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia (SSFFA) Malaysia in December, the competition is seeking a submission of 400-word synopsis for entry. The selected synopsis will then be developed step-by-step, as PDSFC aims to train its participants in the aspect of script writing, storyboarding, production and post-production process from the start.
Bea Tanaka, Managing Director of 42nd Pictures stated, “Our strength and focus has always been in the script, hence we are not looking for a completed short film as an entry. We will guide the shortlisted participants to develop their synopsis into a 15-minute script – starting with a 2-day Visual Storytelling masterclass by Yasu Tanaka, and followed by scheduled group mentoring by 42nd Pictures.”
PDSFC is open to all genres except documentary, animation and music video. Submission is only valid for Malaysian participants aged 18 to 35, in groups up to four persons. Five groups will then be shortlisted and guided to produce their short films with Panasonic DVX200 camera, which will be judged by a panel of esteemed jurors for the final winner selection.
The winning short film will be screened at the 7th SSFFA Malaysia this year, and will receive a sponsorship for the post-production of their short film; including color grading, music, and more. Moreover, they will receive 2 flight tickets to Tokyo, Japan in 2017 together with accommodation for 4 days (3 nights) during SSFFA Japan in June next year. Submission for PDSFC is open now until 26th August 2016.
– Courtesy of Mila Ismail from Kr8tif Express, Aug 12, 2016
7 Malaysian Movies To Watch
Renowned Malaysian film critic Hassan Muthalib reminds us that Malaysian cinema does have something to offer.
There is no shortage of Malaysian cinematic talent. There are household names like P. Ramlee and Saloma, for example. In the last two decades, M. Nasir stole the screen in Saw Teong Hin’s theatrical hit Puteri Gunung Ledang and Sharifah Amani won hearts in Yasmin Ahmad’s romantic comedy drama Sepet (both were released in 2004). Even as recently as 2012, Malaysia entered it’s own award winning Bunohan (directed by Dain Iskandar Said) at the 85th Academy Awards under the Best Foreign Language category.
But lately, Malaysian cinema seems to be flooded with formulaic entries that only leave viewers wanting more – more depth, more plot, more heart. “Real cinema has something to say about society, about real people and needs to show the culture of Malaysia,” explained Hassan. “I’m always interested in cinema, which has been eluding us for a long time, but we have yet to develop a Malaysian cinema. We have some mainstream films catering for the local class but they are cheaply made and solely to entertain – not worth watching at all. Every year we may have 3 or 4 that stand out.” But they slip unnoticed unless you’re following the industry carefully. Here are a few that Hassan thinks are worth your attention.
Note: some may not have English subtitles
Estet (2010)
Director: Mamat Khalid
Genre: Comedy
Set in a rubber plantation called Cinta Manis, Farid must win a football match to win the hand of Geetha, the “villainous” estate owner’s daughter. Classic Mamat Khalid humour, with some hilarious scenes. Several reviews say this is not his best work but it is entertaining nonetheless.
Jalan Pintas (2011)
Director: Nam Ron
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Follows the story of Bakar, a young man who finds it difficult to make a living in the city while supporting his family back in the countryside. This movie wasn’t shown in cinemas because of its political intent and associations. For it to be released on the big screen, there was talk of cutting at least 18 scenes!
Sini Ada Hantu (2012)
Director: James Lee
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Ah Meng and Bakri tell each other Malay ghost stories to pass the time on a long drive delivering the body of a deceased man in a large wooden coffin. Fun fact: James Lee recently won 7 awards at the Gong Creative Circle Awards for his latest short film called Last Day of School.
Psiko: Pencuri Hati (2013)
Director: Nam Ron
Genre: Thriller
Thriller novelist O.Sidi is trying to finish his latest novel Mangsa and becomes obsessed with a series of murders that have been occurring in the city. Sidi slips into a manic-depressive state, which prompts his friend to take him to an island resort where he meets Dr. Khai and his wife Wani. Psiko was nominated for and won several awards in 2014.
Cuak (2014)
Directors: Khairil M. Bahar, Lim Benji, Manesh Nesaratnam, Shamaine Othman, Tony Pietra
Genre: Romance/Drama
Adam is about to get married and the story follows his “second thoughts” in a series of flashbacks. Did he make the right decision? Each segment of the story is told by a different director to reflect a key experience in the main character’s life. Whether you view >Cuak as a landmark Malaysian movie or a filmmaker’s experiment, these directors show us a new way to tell a story.
Apokalips X (2014)
Director: Mamat Khalid
Genre: Futuristic Fantasy
Apokalips X is a fantasy film set in a futuristic world destroyed by chemical warfare. The story tells of rival tribes fighting to gain control over what is left of the human race. It’s the first Malaysian fantasy movie that is visually appealing and professionally shot for its genre.
Nota (2015)
Director: Yasau Tanaka
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Kamal and Erin go on holiday to Bako National Park in Sarawak for their 10th anniversary. Erin hopes their time will together will help save their marriage but she finds a note Kamal has written with the intent to end their marriage, which leads her to plan Kamal’s suicide using the note as an alibi.
Hassan Muthalib has dedicated more than 50 years to the Malaysian film industry. A self-taught artist, designer, animator, film director and writer, his love of cinema continues to drive his interest. He has won many awards including a special award presented by the Prime Minister naming him the Father of Malaysian Animation in 2013. He recently released a book analyzing the history of Malaysian cinema called Malaysian Cinema In A Bottle. He still lectures locally and internationally and is taking more time to write. Click here for more information about his work, other film reviews and papers.
– Courtesy of Abigail Lo from My Malaysia, Nov 30, 2015
Nota Review by Hatta Kain Kapan (Iskandar Dai Jaafar) on Facebook
Nota (2015)
(Maaf. Ia agak basi.)
Sebenarnya, aku mahu menulisnya seiring dengan Jwanita atas faktor Maya Karin, namun atas faktor aku susah menulis ringkas, aku tulis nota mengenai ‘Nota’ secara berasingan atas faktor kelainan perasaan dan kenangan antara dua pengarah berbeza. Sebelum itu, aku suka mengatakan Nota bukan filem popcorn. Untuk yang telah terbiasa dengan Fincher atau Park Chan-wook, tak akan ada masalah rasanya untuk mem’popcorn’kan naskah ini. Mungkin atas faktor itu, naskah ini kurang mesra pawagam kerana kepuasan popcorn itu amat sukar dicuit apatah lagi digapai jika audien yang hadir ialah audien siri filem Senario. Bukan aku mengatakan Senario tidak bagus, tetapi Nota bukan lauk yang sesuai untuk hidangan nasi mereka.
Tiga perkara perihal Nota. Pertama perihal cara Jepun. Antara thriller twist modern Jepun yang lazat ialah Confessions (2010) arahan Tetsuya Nakajima di mana ia mengambil siri pengakuan sebagai enjin cerita. Dan Nota juga mengambil langkah yang sama iaitu dengan menggunakan nota sebagai enjin yang memaknakan surat dan sirat yang sebuah catatan. Tunjangnya, jika audien terperangkap dengan nafsu ingin merungkai luah hati Hans Isaac sebagai Kamal dalam notanya, maka filem ini akan cukup menarik dan mengesankan, sama seperti Confession. (Dan aku amat gemar seandainya awal pengenalan kredit judul filem ini diselitkan apa-apa entiti berkenaan nota sama ada layangan kertas jatuh di atas air biru itu dengan coret tulis sesuatu atau apa sahajalah kerana ia mungkin bakal menjadi ‘popcorn’ awal untuk misteri sebuah nota).
Dan aku ternanti rasa ‘teruja’ akan misteri sebuah nota itu bakal diluah jiwanya oleh siapa. Hans? Terlalu dingin dan dia memang perlu dingin. Maya? Selaku isteri dahaga perasaan (dan intimasi demi zuriat), beliau agak kurang mencengkam membuatkan luap perasaan ‘deritanya’ hampir hanyut bersama topinya yang ditiup angin ketika menaiki bot dan dia bukan pencerita kuat untuk sebuah nota. Walau nota itu kuat, tetapi cengkamannya tidak cukup dorongan hingga saat ‘klimaks’ sebuah tindakkan pun, aku masih keliru, adakah ia benar-benar kerana nota? Namun seperti aku katakan, filem ini bercara Jepun. Cantik sebuah scene dan shot benar-benar menyelamatkan ditambah dengan gabung jalin runut bunyi yang minima namun tepat. Lihat scene kocakkan beras di dalam periuk nasi, scene dua wanita duduk berduaan meluahkan rasa masing-masing (arrghh! Mengapa perlu sedetail itu?) hingga ke karekter Jemat oleh Ramli Hassan yang berdiri antara garis psiko dan budiman. Dan itu semua hampir menghampiri bagus sebuah filem asia cumanya ia hilang seri sebagai sebuah thriller.
Keduanya, bicara perasaan. Nota mengingatkan aku pada Tembus yang aku rasa agak ‘seronok’ dalam membina hubungan perihal kisah rumahtangga. Begini. Apabila ‘langit bertemu laut’ dan ‘line between love and hate’ disatukan, baru aku dapat rasakan the essence of this movie, selain selepas kemunculan Jemat yang penuh double meaning quote, bicara cuba serius maskulin dan hormatnya pada sang buaya. Sebelumnya? Itu yang aku agak kelam. Aku cuba mencari perasaan dari setiap apa yang suami isteri itu tindak-tandukkan terutama dari Maya. Dari bahasa tubuh, tatap mata, monolog hingga ke delusi diri, aku agak sukar menerima perasaan ‘telah berumahtangga’ itu walau telah faham apa yang berlaku. Kerana selam rasa perasaan kisar putar suami isteri, audien amat perlu dibawa berenang ke dasar tasik sebuah rumahtangga (apatah lagi ia berusia 10 tahun). Aku tidak katakan ia gagal, ianya ada. Tetapi ianya terbina lambat. (Aku masih gemar dengan binaan perihal rumahtangga di dalam Perempuan, Isteri dan…).
Apapun aku masih akui, Nota adalah sebuah naskah yang cukup segar untuk industri yang agak suram. Filem bertema psychological thriller seperti ini memang memerlukan maze, curve serta twist yang enak dan manis. Cuma aku seolah terasa yang pengarah ini masih berhati-hati dengan audien Malaysia. (Benar kah?) Berhati-hati itu maksudnya, dibuat hanya secukup rasa untuk acuan audien tempatan. Kerana deep down aku rasakan Nota sepatutnya mampu lebih menggigit, misteri malah mampu lebih thrill. Cuma bolehlah bergerak mencari ‘Rosamund Pike’ yang lain.
Dan aku menulis agak negatif kerana aku amat hargai filem ini. Dan lagi aku agak yakin, Nota akan menang sesuatu jika tercalon dalam FFM. Cuma aku tak tahu kategori apa.
7/10
– Courtesy of Iskandar Dai Jaafar (Kain Kapan) from Facebook, Oct 16, 2015)
NOTA
Plot: A couple with marital problems return to the place where they first got engaged, hoping to patch things up. But when the wife discovers an ominous note written by her husband, a tragic set of events is put into motion.
The gist: I have a confession to make. I’m not a fan of Malay films. In fact, I haven’t watched any Malay films made in my country for the last decade or so, could be longer. I did grow up watching P Ramlee films (who hasn’t?) and saw a couple of 80s flicks (Mr Os is a personal favorite), but other than that, none.
Forgive me for what I am about to say, but most Malay films in the last several years tend to be one of few things: a silly comedy (or lawak bodoh as they call it), a horror comedy, a horror film with lots of blood and not much else, Gerak Khas movies or blatant ripoffs of famous films from overseas. There have only been a few exceptions to this rule. You might ask how I came to this conclusion since I haven’t seen Malay films for so long. Well, from trailers I have seen and some reviews I have read, this is what I feel. Let’s just say my confidence hasn’t been high.
So when the hype began for Nota, I thought now’s the time to sit up and pay attention. After all, if enough people talk about it, there has to be something worth seeing here. So here I am.
Nota is the story of Erin and Kamal, a couple who haven’t been on speaking terms for a long time. There’s the hint of trying unsuccessfully for a child as the main reason for this. The two decide to go back to the place where they first got engaged, at Bako National Park. Erin thinks this is a chance for them to reconcile, until she finds a note in Kamal’s planner, hinting at her husband making a decision that isn’t what she’s expecting at all. And from there, more and more clues start dropping, and things go south from here.
Director Yasu Tanaka has made a nice little thriller here. While the lack of an expensive budget is quite obvious, the film is beautifully shot. This is pretty much proof that big bucks aren’t necessary to make a good film.
The good: Maya Karin and Hans Isaac are good in the lead roles, but it is the late Ramli Hassan that steals the show as the boatman that ferries the couple to their destination. Ramli’s boatman is an eccentric character, one who is kind yet mysterious, funny yet sometimes creepy when he looks at someone in a certain way. He has plenty of stories to tell, in fact his lines are more than Maya and Hans’ combined. He’s just awesome.
The other good thing is the cinematography. It’s not just the wide outdoor shots of Bako that I’m referring to, but also something as basic as a butterfly on the table, rice being cooked, hermit crabs walking on the sand etc. This is how a camera should be used in a film. Speaking of Bako, credit goes to the production design team for choosing the locations that ended up on film. Gorgeous to behold.
The bad: Nota lacks a genuine surprise. Perhaps I shouldn’t have watched the trailer before seeing this. But even so, the resolution to the story is quite obvious once Erin makes her move in the third act. I was hoping for something to sweep the rug from under me but it didn’t happen.
There are also other little things, like Erin’s conversations with Mayumi that didn’t seem natural to me. I’m referring to how it looked on screen and not how it was set up. And then there was the weird receptionist, which wasn’t necessary (don’t know why this was here).
Verdict: It’s a solid little thriller that uses its strengths well. Despite being predictable in the final third, it’s a film worth checking out, even if just for the visuals. (7/10)
– Courtesy of Aaron from Familiar Fantasy II, Sept 17, 2015)
Ulasan filem: NOTA arahan Yasu Tanaka
Kali pertama saya tonton filem NOTA arahan Yasu Tanaka, saya bersama dengan sekumpulan penonton kasual yang saya kira suka tengok filem yang boleh buat mereka gelak je. Saya rasa mereka tertidur masa tengok Nota. Mereka ada di dalam panggung barangkali sebab Hans Isaac atau Maya Karin je, dan kedua-dua mereka bersifat kosmetik. Ia buat Nota jadi daging beku dan serius nak mati dan ini bukan ‘makanan’ kumpulan penonton kasual tadi. Tidak pada saya. Daging beku begini dah jadi makanan saya dan ia disediakan dengan cantik sekali oleh Yasu, kecuali di permulaan filem bila Maya sebagai Erin berdialog dengan rakan Jepunnya. Masa tu saya nampak skrip yang dibaca untuk menyampaikan cerita. Tapi nasib baiklah tak lama sebab selepas itu, Hans Isaac dan Maya sebagai pasangan suami isteri menunjukkan betapa bekunya hubungan mereka. Dengan hampir tiada dialog. I thought the minimal dialogue works for Maya Karin very well sejak bahasa Melayu dia masih lagi keras.
(Keras macam mana pun BM si Maya Karin, aku tetap suka Maya. Bulan puasa lepas sempat buka puasa dengan dia. Aku rasa aku suka dia for no reason. Wait, no. Aku kritik dia sebab suka dia. Kalau pelakon lain, dah tak kisah dah nak melingkup ke, ke laut ke. Ambil contoh: Hanis Zalikha.)
Muzik berganti melambangkan suasana dan kita dah tau filem ni nak jadi apa. Lalu kita dibawa ke Sarawak. Kita rasa macam pergi bercuti sebab permandangannya cantik. Tapi tengoklah…
Kali terakhir saya benar-benar melawat Sarawak melalui filem ialah dengan filem XX Ray arahan Aziz M Osman. Masa tu bukan saja ada gambar permandangan negeri Sarawak tapi orangnya juga cakap Sarawak, jadi ia tak nampak superficial, tak macam masa Aziz M Osman buat filem Fenomena. Kita dibawa ke Terengganu tapi orangnya cakap KL. Bukan kes dengan Nota, seawal disapa oleh pemandu teksi, kita dapat rasa yang kita sendiri berada di Sarawak, kita dibawa ke edisi Jalan Jalan Cari Makan dengan Kamal dan Erin, turut merasa perjalanan mereka sebab watak-watak di sekeliling mereka sangat real. Lebih-lebih lagi dengan kehadiran Jemat (lakonan mantap Allahyarham Ramli Hassan) sebagai tourist guide mereka setelah mereka tersesat. Sekali lagi, sukar untuk membayangkan Yasu, pengarah Jepun ini menggambarkan cerita tentang bumi Malaysia dengan bahasa yang mungkin asing buatnya, tapi apa yang dirakamnya amat meyakinkan, sehinggalah saya terbaca tentang input Ramli Hassan sendiri untuk membiarkan rakaman di Sarawak dituturkan dengan bahasa Sarawak sendiri pada wataknya. So, that make sense. Memang Ramli buat saya teringat pada rakan saya seorang ini dari Sarawak, terutama bila watak Ramli dengan Maya dan Hans berbicara tentang buaya. Spot on. Ramli Hassan terus-terusan memberi suara malahan ilham buat Maya membuatkan filem ini kekal beku, seram sejuk dan suram. Sedang kumpulan penonton bersama saya barangkali sedang dibuai mimpi seram, sesekali tersentak dengan hentaman yang kuat. Dan mereka dah tak nampak kelibat Hans sebagai Kamal lagi. Mereka terlepas persembahan hebat dari Ramli Hassan yang tidak kelihatan lagi di layar, hanyut dibawa arus sungai atau dimakan buaya. Mereka fikir ini thriller yang generik (entah mereka faham ke tidak thriller itu apa). Tapi yang pasti mereka takkan bercakap tentang filem Nota lagi. Sehinggalah saya sendiri yang katakan pada mereka, selesai tontonan, “korang tau tak, filem Nota ni filem best.”
“Best gila. Tapi korang mesti tak faham apa yang aku kata ni.”
And then I have to convince them again, “korang tengok betul-betul si Ramli Hassan.”
Saya kena yakinkan mereka melalui tontonan kali kedua (tanpa mereka). Kali ini di sebelah saya ada 3 beranak yang bawa anak kecil yang asyik merungut tentang popcornnya sehingga ganggu penonton lain. Saya jarakkan diri saya jauh daripada mereka. Saya kira si ibu dan makciknya minat Maya Karin tapi tak tau mereka sedang tengok filem apa sampai bawa si anak kecil tu tonton sekali. Salah pilih filem. Tapi pendapat saya masih tetap sama. Nota is one of the best local films in recent years. Dan itu juga yang akan saya kata pada penonton yang tertidur pada minggu lepas.
Sinopsis: Filem “Nota” mengetengahkan tentang pasangan suami isteri bermasalah, Kamal dan Erin yang semakin renggang selepas tidak mendapat cahaya mata. Pada ulang tahun ke-10 perkahwinan, mereka telah mengambil keputusan untuk pergi ke tempat di mana Kamal melamar isterinya,dengan harapan untuk memulihkan hubungan cinta dan rumah tangga mereka. Bagaimanapun, ketika dalam perjalanan, Erin menjumpai nota yang ditulis Kamal yang menyatakan dia mempunyai niat lain….
– Courtesy of Nazri Ahmadeus, Aug 25, 2015
Miscellaneous Reviews on Facebook
Eswandy Asre :
Nota (2015).
Ditector, Yasu Tanaka.
Perhatian kepada semua rakan rakan saya tak kiralah dari bangsa apa pun, latar belakang apa pun. Tontonilah filem thriller hebat lakonan Maya Karin dan Hans Isaac ini !! Saya jamin masa yang anda luangkan untuk menonton filem ini tak akan terbazir dengan sia sia. 1 dalam 1000 untuk industri filem kita yang ketandusan filem thriller berkualiti. Filem tempatan dengan sentuhan magis dari pengarah Jepun nyata membawa satu dimensi baru dalam gaya sinematografi, naratif serta gaya penceritaan. 8/10.
Idn Khaldun :
Nota oleh Yasu Tanaka.
“Not a” waste of time.
Perkara yang saya paling suka tentang Nota ialah ia berjaya dalam mengekalkan “menacing atmosphere” dari mula hingga akhir filem. Yup, walau ada kalanya pacing nya ada pasang ada surut seperti air di lautan (ehem), ia masih tidak tersasar dari tujuannya. Dari pantai yang jernih ke lautan yang tenang yang sedangkan dasarnya sedang bergelora.
Alam juga banyak berbahasa dalam filem ini, barangkali ia mengerti isi hati mereka mereka yang sedang lemah dan terluka.
Camera work yang paling menarik bagi saya ialah scene ketika mereka pertama kali bertemu ramli di masjid. Ketika mereka beredar, ramli merenung maya dengan nafsu dan pada waktu itu kamera bergerak dalam 90 darjah kiri kekanan dengan bergaya yang saya rasa berjaya menaikkan rasa “ada udang di sebalik Batu” . Juga moment ketika mereka menunggu di jeti di mana ramli sibuk bercerita , pada waktu itu kamera juga bergerak dengan baik .( Meningatkan saya kepada style Fassbinder yang suka mengekalkan kamera beliau 360 darjah mengelilingi karakter untuk scene scene intense sebegitu terutama ketika duduk di meja)
Bukanlah Filem yang perfect tetapi Filem yang terasa fresh dan enak. Dan ya, sungguh enak hingga boleh di makan begitu saja.
Nazher Khan :
Tittle : Nota
Actor : Hans Isaac, Maya Karin
‘ an intriguing plot yet with suspen elements, a good impact to the audience to show how broken a relationship could be ‘
Frustrated, devastated, catastrophic, broken, how one relationship could happened, Mula-Mula ingat ini cerita hantu, sebab elemen suspen dan triler masa awal cerita, permulaan yang baik, tidak meleret. Karya ini mempersembahkan retaknya sesebuah hubungan suami isteri, di mana, dari pasangan yang bahagia, membawa kepada dua orang yang dah tak saling mencuba, tak saling toleransi, toleransi itu sendiri, satu elemen yang penting dalam sesebuah hubungan suami isteri, secara keseluruhan, ini sebuah karya yang memang unik, gaya penceritaan yang lain dari yang lain.
Personal rating: 7.9/10
Saiko Nadia Ismail
NOTA (2015)
Tak keterlaluan jika saya katakan, dunia perfileman tempatan kita memerlukan lebih naskhah yg similar dgn Nota.
Mainan emosi yg ditunjukkan, cukup2 rasa. Bukan movie potong bawang, bukan jugak movie yg boleh buat kita rasa marah secara keterlaluan.
Nota yg diarahkan oleh seorang lelaki jepun Mr Yasu Tanaka,telah menerapkan elemen2 filem jepun ke dalam sebuah filem melayu iaitu lebih kepada penceritaan secara visual.
Komen saya setelah menonton Nota, satu filem yg santai, tak perlu sound effect yg keterlaluan atau CGI yg berlebihan, tapi mampu menjadi naskhah yg sgt menarik.
Lakonan Maya Karin sebagai heroin dan Hans Isaac sebagai hero yg x brapa hero, sebagai pasangan suami isteri yg sedang mengalami pergolakan dlm rumahtangga. hubungan yg dingin setelah 10 thn berkahwin, tak boleh dijelaskan. Mungkin disebabkan tak dikurniakan zuriat, atau disebabkan si isteri asyik membebel tentang perkara remeh temeh yg membuatkan si suami bosan, atau disebabkan kehadiran org ketiga, atau disebabkan kurang komunikasi dan persefahaman sepanjang tempoh perkahwinan mereka, or just simply ‘time flies, n relationship ends’. Sekuntum bunga takkan mekar selamanya..
Jadi dlm usaha memperbaiki hubungan yg makin retak,mereka terbang ke sarawak sempena ulangtahun ke 10 perkahwinan mereka. Di sana, kenangan2 silam ketika saat si suami melamar si isteri mula bermain di ruang mata si isteri. Tapi, si suami masih dgn sifat kekayuannya dan tak tunjuk sebarang reaksi.
Sehinggalah si isteri terjumpa satu nota yg penuh dgn isi tersirat di sebalik bait2 kata yg agak berbunga. Saya salute nota tu. Sgt dlm maknanya.
Apa yg terjadi lepas tu? Tak boleh nk cerita, sebab nanti hilang perasaan ingin tahu anda. Sbb tu saya kata, filem ni sgt santai dan tak perlu fikir byk.
It was worth every cent and time spent to watch Nota on the big screen.
Sygnya, seperti filem2 melayu lain, yg lain dari kebiasaan (filem seram, komedi, cintan cintun, isteriku-suamiku, gangster, rempit whatsoever), tygn Nota di pawagam adalah sgt terhad. Cuma ditayangkan selama seminggu di kebanyakan pawagam terpilih, dgn showtime yg sgt terhad dan tak kena pada waktunya. Sekarang, still ditayangkan, tapi hanya ada 4 pawagam seluruh malaysia je. KLCC, wangsa walk, jitra dan sabah. Haihhhh..
Alasan pihak pawagam, show tak penuh panggung, selalunya penonton kurang dari 10org setiapkali tygn. Apa punca masalah ni? Salah pengusaha pawagam kerana susunatur jadual showtime yg tak sesuai, menyebabkan ramai xleh nk luangkan masa utk menonton? Atau kurangnya penonton yg berkualiti? Mentaliti dan pandangan skeptikal penonton terhadap filem melayu?
Honestly, saya pun skeptik dgn filem2 melayu di pawagam. Tapi filem2 macam Nota, Bunohan, Zaiton Ceritaku, KIL, SAM, Terbaik Dari Langit dan banyak lagi, yg format dan jln ceritanya lain dari yg lain, tak sepatutnya dianaktirikan. Ini cubaan2 utk membuatkan filem melayu melangkah ke depan tapi still x diterima masyarakat, kenapa? Almost semua filem yg saya sebut td, semua tygnnya limited. X faham betul..
Akhirnya, org luar jugak laa yg akan hargai filem2 gini… Org luar gak laa yg akan nampak potensi besar filem2 gini…
Sayang betul…… Kalau Astro tayangkan Nota di Astro First, jgn lepaskan tayangan ni. Ok? Tak larat nak bebel dah..
Tahniah 42nd Pictures kerana semua team produksi sgt menghargai setiap satu komen supporters secara peribadi, not just by saying “thanks to all supporters” but they mentioned each and every supporters’ names and thanked each and every single supporter. Kagum sgt dgn kesungguhan pihak produksi utk menambat hati penonton tempatan..
Again, congrats, for Nota, an attractive film in its own way.
Edgar Ong
NOTA (Note) was directed by Yasuhiko Tanaka, a Japanese based in Kuala Lumpur, and produced by his Malaysian wife, Bea Tanaka. It was shot over 26 days at Bako national park and village near Kuching,Sarawak. It stars Maya Karin, Hans Isaac and was Ramli Hassan’s last film, (he died shortly after the premiere of the film in June.)
In my personal opinion, this film, shown at Cannes this year, ranks with the best ever made in this country. It may not appeal to those whose tastes run between the slapstick brainless comedies to the moronic gangster flicks to the weepy family dramas so popular among the hoi polloi, but that’s life.
Try and catch it, be it on dvd or on Astro’s First Channel where it’s been showing since August 27th.
Good work Yasu and Bea!
Iskandar Azaman
Thank you Ahmad Blitzenius and Bea Tanaka for giving me the heads up on the last showing for Nota.
I don’t remember the last time I watched a Malaysian film in the cinema. It was probably Puteri Gunung Ledang which I didn’t enjoy and thought it should have been renamed to The Tiara Jacquelina Show.
My personal problem with Malay movies is my failure at grasping the language, so for a film like Nota which didn’t have a massive amount of dialogue and for the dialogue it had, there were English subs, I managed to understand most of it.
Nota was intriguing and was filmed perfectly to also highlight the natural beauty and culture of Sarawak. I’m quite sure many viewers like me wanted to take a trip to Sarawak after watching Nota.
It’s a beautifully made film with a brilliant performance by Ramli Hassan as a tour guide who is the equivalent of the weird and scary redneck you encounter in Hollywood horror movies. His Sarawakian dialect made him sound extra creepy. Ramli Hassan passed away earlier this year and I think we lost a bloody good actor. Most would probably remember him as the other King in Anna and the King with Jodie Foster.
As good as it was there were however a couple of niggles. I thought the park bench scene with the Japanese friend felt forced and awkward but I understood there had to be a scene to explain certain parts of the relationship of the two main characters. I just felt the performance and dialogue in that part could have been more natural. But it’s a minor complaint.
There were also some cliched shots in the movie that totally brought me back to redneck country horror movie but again that’s minor and most probably because I watch too many horror movies. Too many.
All in all however I think it was a great movie and deserves a watch on the big screen if only for the scenes of Sarawak. Also a great performance by Maya Karin who managed to do so much with her character without actually saying much. She also remained smokin’ hot throughout the movie.
Theatrical run is over but you can catch it on Astro First real soon.
Try not to illegally download local movies so that we can finally get some quality stuff like Nota and The Journey instead of gangster movies and horror comedies.
Van Dien
Nota aka The Note (2015)
Nota merupakan filem Malaysia kedua yang telah saya tonton di pawagam pada tahun ini selepas Tebaik Dari Langit.. Bukannya saya sudah tidak suka menonton filem Melayu di pawagam, tetapi sekarang ini, jarang sekali ada filem Melayu yang ditayangkan di pawagam Singapura, jadi saya perlu naik ke Johor dari Singapura semata-mata untuk menonton filem Melayu. (Dulu, selalu juga saya ke Johor untuk menonton filem-filem Melayu di pawagam, tetapi sekarang sudah jarang sekali disebabkan oleh sebab tertentu)
Berbalik kepada Nota : Nota bukan hanya sebuah Thriller Psikologi yang ambitius. Tidak secara langsung ianya juga merupakan sebuah filem berbentuk eksperimen untuk pasaran filem Melayu tempatan, satu barometer bagi mengukur sambutan audiens Malaysia terutama sekali orang Melayu terhadap smart films atau filem-filem bijak. Dan ternyata audiens Malaysia, terutama audiens Melayu masih belum dapat memberi sokongan yang cukup bagi filem-filem sebegini. Saya belum lagi dapat statistik rasmi, namun berdasarkan ‘short run’ Nota di pawagam, ianya menggambarkan satu ‘tragedy’ bagi Malaysian Cinema. Shame on You Malaysians! Its such a shame that a brave and brilliant film like Nota did not get its proper reception, left unnoticed.
Sungguh sayang sekali filem yang seenak begini hanya dinikmati, diapresiasikan atau setidak-tidaknya ditonton di pawagam hanya oleh segelintir orang, walaupun setelah filem ini mendapat rave reviews.
Shame on you Malaysians kerana si penulis ini dengan bersusah-payah telah pergi ke Johor bersama-sama isterinya dari Singapura untuk menonton filem yang dilabel brilliant oleh sesetengah pihak ini, dan isterinya telah meminta sang suami untuk tontonan kali kedua, tetapi kamu gagal untuk memberi support(sokongan) bagi filem tempatan kamu yang telah mencetuskan sebuah lagi anjakan paradikma (paradigm shift) selepas ianya mula dicetuskan oleh filem Bunohan.
Sekarang, biar saya kongsi pandangan saya mengenai filem Nota ini.
Di dalam kesemua review yang telah saya baca mengenai filem ini, rata-rata sudah sentuh isu filem ini merupakan filem yang minimal tetapi pandai bercerita dengan imej-imej yang bersimbolisme dengan menggunakan teknik camera shots yang bijak.
Pemilihan lokasi filem ini di Bako, Sarawak sahaja sudah genius sekali, jadi direktor filem ini Yasu Tanaka dapat mengekploitasikan kecantikan Bako untuk shots yang memukau. Cinematographer filem ini Maximilian Schmige dari German sudah tentu memberikan filem ini aura dan feel yang berbeza daripada filem-filem Melayu yang lain.
Nota ialah sebuah potret hubungan suami-isteri di ambang kehancuran.
Erin dan Kamal sepasang suami isteri yang hubungan mereka tersangat dingin sehinggakan sudah tidak lagi bertegur sapa walaupun tinggal serumah. Cerita ini kebanyakannya dari kaca mata si isteri (Erin) yang sedang berusaha dengan gigih untuk mendapatkan anak. Maka suami isteri telah pergi ke Taman Negara Bako di Sarawak, tempat mereka mula-mula jatuh cinta untuk memperbaiki hubungan mereka.
Setibanya Erin dan Kamal di Sarawak, apabila audiens diperkenalkan kepada watak Jemat yang dimainkan oleh arwah Ramli Hassan dengan mahirnya, mood filem berubah disebabkan oleh persembahan yang eccentric oleh Ramli sebagai Jemat.
Cerita menjadi lebih mistikal dengan dialog-dialog jampi serapah Jemat yang sangat menghormati buaya-buaya di sungai itu . Dan sewaktu cerita berkembang, watak Jemat menjadi catalyst mengimbangi filem ini daripada terus menjadi kaku disebabkan oleh kedinginan suami-isteri, Erin dan Kamal yang memerlukan babak mereka berdialog minimal disebabkan oleh kedinginan mereka itu.
Filem ini, seperti yang dinyatakan di atas, kebanyakannya dari kaca mata Erin (Maya Karin) jadi Erin merupakan watak utama filem ini. Seorang isteri yang bersungguh-sungguh berikhtiar untuk menyelamatkan perkahwinannya yang di ambang kehancuran, yang berusaha untuk mendapatkan zuriat, dengan tiba-tiba mendapati suaminya curang terhadapnya bersama dengan teman baiknya. : Nah! Ini merupakan peluang yang baik untuk Maya Karin to steal the show. Tambahan pula filem ini dipenuhi dengan simbolisme yang brilliant, terutama sekali imej sapu tangan berbentuk M.
Bayangkan jika Maya Karin menyampaikan persembahan yang delirious sekali, dibantu oleh simbolisme yang kuat, sapu tangan berbentuk M yang digunakan oleh suaminya mengelap peluh, diselang-selikan dengan teknik penggunaan flashback imej curang suaminya dengan teman baiknya. Wow! The wife snaped, lantas audiens mendapat killer performance hy Maya Karin. Namun perkara ini tidak. Apa yang audiens dapat adalah sedikit anti-klimaks. Mengapa?
Pacing filem ini sengaja dibuat perlahan (deliberate), jadi aura misterinya amat dirasakan sekali. Ini sangat baik kerana ianya kept the audience at the edge of their seats, wondering what will happen next. Tambahan pula persembahan Hans Isaac dan Maya Karin yang baik sebagai Kamal dan Erin sepasang suami isteri yang sudah tidak boleh tahan lagi ingin mencari jalan keluar. Namun begitu, di akhir filem, setelah audiens sudah boleh teka apa yang akan terjadi, klimaks twist ending yang dinantikan di setiap thriller psikologi tidak terjadi.. Pada mulanya saya pinpointed at Maya Karin kerana anti-klimak itu. Tetapi saya mendapat tahu bahawa filem ini mempunyai alternate ending. Ending yang saya tonton di Cathay Cineplex Johor itu to cater to pasaran tempatan. Besar kemungkinan ending di dalam versi antarabangsa will be shocking.
Namun begitu, filem ini adalah satu percubaan yang baik sekali untuk berfikir di luar kotak. untuk keluar dari norma . Syabas kepada 42nd Pictures kerana filem yang sangat bermutu, yang sangat cantik cinematography-nya, yang indie feel-nya, yang membuat audiens berfikir dan yang membuat isteri saya mahu menontonnya buat kali yang kedua!
8/10
– Courtesy of Facebook users who had watched NOTA, (Thank you!!)
The thing is,‘NOTA’ has been quickly disappearing from cinemas despite receiving rave reviews
We’re no film experts.
Which is why we’re going to use film critic and historian Hassan Abd Muthalib (who has done a critical analysis of the film which we’ve just published) as well as every other person’s word for it to tell you that yes, you really do need to watch Nota before it disappears from cinemas.
We’re doing this out of our love for Malaysian films. Nota started airing on the 13th of August, and it’s only been around for a week. Now it’s playing in just a few venues, and this could be your last week to catch it.
As for ourselves, we wrote about Nota several times this year.
Our feelings towards the film has consistently evolved over the months since we first watched it back in Cannes, and this is reflected in every piece we’ve published since. With each week, it would seem that we’ve gained a new level of understanding for Yasu Tanaka‘s choices and all the subtleties of Nota‘s film language.
Here are some of what people have been saying about Nota and we hope this convinces you to go watch the film in cinemas before it’s gone forever and you’ll have to experience this cinematic event on your humble television.
Selected Reviews
I never give stars to films but I’ll break my own rule to give Nota five! I dare say local filmmakers will learn a thing or two about how to speak with visuals and use (correctly!) symbols in movies without being pretentious. And turning landscapes into mindscapes. And subtle critiques of religion and tourism. This guy Tanaka knows his stuff, I tell you!
– Hassan Abd Muthalib, Aug 20 2015
Saya memuji teknik pengarahan Tanaka yang saya sifatkan sebagai bijak dan sangat berbeza dengan sentuhan pengarah tempatan. Maaf, bukan mahu menjadi bias atau menidakkan kemampuan pengarah tempatan tetapi apa yang dipersembahkan oleh Tanaka pada perspektif saya penuh dengan maksud tersirat dan tersurat menerusi teknik yang diguna pakai.
[…]
Tidak hanya itu, kelebihan filem Nota atau dalam erti kata lain, yang menjadikan filem ini kelihatan indah di layar lebar adalah sinematografinya yang saya sifatkan terbaik. Ternyata pengarah fotografinya, Maximilian Schmige bijak mengeksploitasi keindahan negeri Sarawak dalam memberikan satu penontonan yang memberikan keindahan di mata penonton.
– Shazryn Mohd Faisal, The Rakyat Post, 14 Aug 14, 2015
Filem ni sangat berfikiran ke hadapan kalau kita lihat dalam konteks industri kita sahaja. Serius. Paling similar pun dengan Bunohan; tapi persamaannya terhenti dekat teknik penceritaan yang visualistik sahaja. Benda lain, sangat bijak diolah! Cerita pasal curang jugak, tapi tak adalah macam dalam novel cintan haram Melayu tu!
Serius. Kalau dapat tengok, tengok! Nota ni patut hangpa take note!
– Muhammad Ikhwan Radzali, The Iki Ali, 20 August
The Numbers Game
In a posting on Movie Memoirs And Memorabilia on the 20th of August, it was brought up that there was only a single audience member present in one particular cinema on the seventh day of Nota‘s run. This explains why cinemas have been quick to remove the film from their halls; why wait for Nota to find its audiences when more lucrative Hollywood ventures can guarantee a constant stream of income?
Wanna talk figures? Let’s just say Nota is making far less than it should. It hasn’t made the Top 10 of any local box office charts, and it looks destined to end up with the same fate as movies like Lelaki Harapan Dunia, Cuak and Terbaik Dari Langit: movies which only gained traction weeks or months after disappearing from cinemas.
If this still doesn’t incite a reaction, let’s bring up some more figures as obtained from the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS).
Hantu Dalam Botol Kicap made RM1,860,000.
Suamiku, Encik Perfect 10! made RM2,990,000.
Zombi Kilang Biskut made RM1,550,000.
Mat Tudung made RM1,070,000.
Gangster Celop made RM1,330,000.
These are all more or less box office successes in the context of the Malaysian film industry. There’s no point complaining about how our local movies are terrible when people turn up in droves to support Hantu Dalam Botol Kicap but nobody wants to go and see Dain Said‘s Bunohan(RM0.78 million) or Yasmin Ahmad‘s Talentime (RM0.42 million).
It Starts With You
All it takes is a trip to the cinema in support of local films of acceptable quality just so all the right people can obtain funds to channel into better content. Why spend ringgits on another crappy Hollywood remake when you can contribute to decent local material?
In Cinema Online‘s “5 Reasons to watch Nota“, writer Casey Lee believed that any success for Nota would validate 42nd Pictures‘s model of production. Casey argued that Nota‘s use of Maya Karin and Hans Isaac in combination with a mix of local and international production crew could “take the Malaysian movie out of its creative rut”, and we don’t doubt this.
Unfortunately, things haven’t exactly gone as planned and now we’re writing this piece to convince our readers to go to the cinemas.
– Courtesy of Deric Ect from The Daily Seni, Aug 21, 2015
“NOTA by Yasu Tanaka: Of human nature, red herrings and the terrible mother”
by Hassan Abd Muthalib
Filmmaker, historian and critic Hassan Abd Muthalib shares his analysis of Nota, a film by 42nd Pictures. The pychological thriller which is currently playing in cinemas is directed by Yasu Tanaka and stars Maya Karin, Hans Isaac, Ramli Hassan (in his final role) and Rin Izumi.
Heav’n has no rage like love to hatred turn’d,
Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn’d.
– William Congreve
Kamal (Hans Isaac) and Erin (Maya Karin) are a young couple facing a marital crisis. Years of failure at trying to have a baby have led to a prolonged and agonizing lack of communication between them. Erin is the only one who seems to want to discuss things to save their marriage. But Kamal freezes up, and instead, has plans to end their marriage.
Erin discovers his intention in a note that he has written. In a last ditch attempt and on their 10th year anniversary, they make a trip to Bako National Park in Sarawak where Kamal had once proposed to Erin. Slowly, Erin discovers why Kamal is intent on ending their marriage. She is infuriated and begins to plan the perfect murder, using his note as evidence of his death.
A local Sarawakian boatman, Jemat (Ramli Hassan), takes them to the isolated National Park, and inadvertently becomes involved in Kamal and Erin’s problems with tragic conclusions. Becoming an important part of the conundrum is Erin’s Japanese friend, Mayumi (Rin Izumi).
The Expressionist, Surrealist and Gothic Approach in Nota
Yasu Tanaka has crafted a story in his film, Nota (2015), with a treatment that is unique to Malaysian cinema. To appreciate his narrative and stylistics, one must have a basic grasp of the conventions associated with expressionism and surrealism, as well as the gothic.
Expressionism distances itself from the traditional and the cultural which is one of the subtle explorations in Nota. The aim is not to depict objective reality but rather the subjective emotions and responses aroused within a person to unfolding events (in particular, to Erin). Surrealism is depicted with imaginary images, juxtaposition and chance, with the subconscious coming to the fore.
Tanaka abandons the rational to inquire into the mysterious depths of the psyche of Erin. Surrealism, in turn, creates strange creatures from everyday objects (for example, the ominous rock and boiling rice in Nota), allowing Erin’s subconscious to express itself. Like surrealist works, Tanaka’s film features the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions andnon-sequiturs.
In terms of story, characters and visualization, there are references (or, more accurately, similarities) to other Malaysian films like Semerah Padi (P. Ramlee, 1956), Chuchu Datok Merah (M. Amin, 1963), and Perempuan, Isteri dan Jalang (U-Wei Haji Saari, 1993). Nota, in comparison to the objective treatment employed for these films, stands on its own in its use of expressionism.
A subjective perspective (that of Erin), is used by Tanaka to express emotional experience in the face of hard reality. Foregoing the normal conventions of editing, much of Tanaka’s shots show Erin’s point of view through the camera without first establishing whose eyes are we seeing through . This enhances the subjective approach used by Tanaka to tell his story. Erin appears to be calm but all the while, her angst is depicted as lying suppressed, but then explodes forth when in the final plot point, she realizes who is actually responsible for the deterioration of her marriage.
Modern-day Angst and False Archetypes
Kamal is highly-educated, and a successful surgeon. On her side, Erin has foregone a career to concentrate on her marriage. Both of them are in a technologically-advanced world, but they have become dehumanized; this is something that living in the city has done to their humanity (among elements explored in the film’s expressionism).
Tanaka does not deign to give back story for much of his film. It is unnecessary, and in many cases, there is also no closure. The play is the thing, and both Shakespeare and Alfred Hitchcockconcur on this. The story must move to its inevitable ending. The audience is called upon to piece things together.
Like many filmmakers, Tanaka respects his audience and asks them to join him in the storytelling. But for this, he requires, as U-Wei Haji Saari once remarked, an audience that is perceptive. In Malaysia, that is certainly a tall order!
Tanaka alludes to Erin and Kamal’s loss of humanity and spirituality in the scene where they enter a village in Sarawak after emerging from the jungle. The village is usually seen as the bastion of spirituality, but this appears to be quite a strange village.
Two children totally ignore Kamal’s queries and, instead, concentrate on what they are doing. This is certainly unusual as children are normally cheery and vibrant. It is an index; a subtle pointer that even the village today has turned into what cities have become – devoid of the spirituality that they were once known for.
To attest to this, Tanaka introduces the Muslim call to prayer over the visual of Erin and Kamal arriving in the village. As normal Muslims (and adhering to archetype), they would have joined in the prayers, but they do not.
Significantly, Jemat, the boatman is introduced at this particular time. He walks nonchalantly past those praying in the mosque, and greets the couple. He, too, does not join in the prayers – as a man of his (screen) stature would.
In Semerah Padi, P. Ramlee raised questions about female sexuality in the face of the strict tenets of religion. Tanaka raises the same, this time of spirituality, in the scene of the azan and prayer in the village mosque.
This is also alluded to in the costume of the taxi driver who is beaten up. He wears a songkok(denoting him as a Muslim). In the dialogue of the attackers, we find that not only has the taxi driver not paid his car installments, he has also gambled away the money. His character and values are not that of a true Muslim.
Jemat’s character is but one of the many red herrings that Tanaka has in his film. He is given a magnificent screen presence. He appears to be an archetype of the wise man of the interior. But he is actually a false archetype. He does not know much except what he has heard or learned from others.
Jemat knows of Erin’s marital problems only by inadvertently listening to her pleas to Kamal. Erin all the while thinks she has been talking to Kamal. (In a clever mise-en-scene, Tanaka only shows Jemat’s legs as he stands stock still listening to Erin). He conjectures that Kamal as a doctor would be very rich (village people are not normally drawn to material wealth). He also concludes that a wife would kill her husband for his insurance (Erin herself is amused by this).
Jemat, in fact, has no wisdom or foresight. He is no better than those who are praying in the mosque who just follow the tenets of the religion without seeking to understand its inner meanings. To allude to this, Tanaka has the worshippers strangely dressed in resplendent traditional Malay dress (that is usually worn on festive days like the Aidilfitri).
Jemat chants and enters the river in the middle of the night, involved in some strange ritual (obviously learnt from a master who has probably provided no explanation for it). If Jemat were like the wise men of old and truly spiritual, he could have known Erin’s true character intuitively. He knows how to remove the poison of the puffer fish so that it becomes edible. He has battled three crocodiles and killed one, but, ignominiously, he succumbs to a woman! (And laughingly, he had remarked earlier that he would have liked to die fighting a crocodile!)
Landscapes and Mindscapes
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men – and women? Tanaka’s mise-en-scene depicts mindscape masterfully by distorting, in particular, Erin’s world, through gothic settings and lighting.
Everyday objects take on an ominous feel: rice on the boil (signifying her boiling anger), flames of the oven, the shower head, the rocky outcrop, ominous sunsets, loud, grotesque sounds, etc. It is all, in fact, Erin’s mindscape.
As observed by Jemat, Erin has a ‘rich imagination’.
She imagines her finger penetrating the aquarium wall; she imagines having decent conversations with her husband; she has frequent memories of happier times when she and Kamal were newly married; she ‘sees’ water superimposed on Jemat’s face as he speaks of him being attacked by a crocodile, and a vision of rice boiling behind him as he tells the story of the two-timing husband; she imagines Kamal having sex with Mayumi, and imagines impaling Kamal through the neck with a sharp branch as they walk in the jungle.
In short, she is one who is easily influenced. She was fascinated by the senseless violence perpetrated upon the taxi driver, resulting in his death. It is as if that is what she would have liked to inflict upon her husband.
Ultimately, like Zaleha in Perempuan, Isteri dan Jalang, Erin loses her bearings and becomes a vicious predator, harkening back to a time when ancient societies resorted to violence to achieve their ends. Tanaka makes her character to be incongruous: she feeds fish in the aquarium; she gently picks up a butterfly and then releases it in the air, and yet she is able to take the life of a human.
Very early in the film, Tanaka denotes her hidden nature, in quick cuts, to the strangely-shaped rock in the National Park that looks like a cobra preparing to strike. Later, as the boat takes her and Kamal to the park, she comes upon the rock and stares at it in fascination.
The juxtaposition of images is expressionistic, and functions as a striking visual comment as to her state of mind. And the final straw that breaks the camel’s back is when she realizes Kamal’s secret. In her imagination, she sees Kamal having sex with Mayumi. It climaxes with a close shot of Mayumi’s face in the shadows, looking directly into the camera. It is as if she is mocking Erin.
To emphasize this, Tanaka inserts a voice-over, with Mayumi saying “there is a fine line between love and hate”. It becomes a premonition of Mayumi’s own fate. Erin’s failure to be a mother and Mayumi’s ability to be one incenses her. There is nothing now that Erin will not do.
The Terrible Mother Archetype
There is a fine line, too, between the ‘good mother’ and the ‘terrible mother’.
The mother is an archetype in Jungian psychology with these two prototypically opposing aspects. One is positive, “that cherishes and sustains, furthers growth and fertility”. The other is negative, that which “devours, seduces, and poisons”.
Erin possesses both these archetypes. Her positive aspect is seen in her attitude to feeding and talking to her fish, and then gently picking up the butterfly and releasing it outside her house. Yasu Tanaka manifests her negative aspects stylistically in the numerous motifs of rocks, boiling rice, and images of the sea.
The sea (and water) dominates in Nota and become motifs of meaning. The sea, like the archetype of the mother, is seen in the arts as one that sustains life, and at times, is the origin of all life. In its opposing aspect, the sea is the Terrible Mother who devours. Tanaka depicts this well and links it to Kamal’s running verse of “where the sky and ocean meet”.
Kamal and Erin finally arrive on top of the cliff where Kamal proposed to her ten years earlier. Tanaka frames the scene in an extreme long shot (a negative index and foreshadowing the violence that will follow). The horizon line dividing the ocean and sky is thin and hardly visible. The sky has also become the sea (in Erin’s mind). And in a moment of insanity (represented by a black frame and a loud, crashing sound effect), she does the unthinkable, answering the call of the Terrible Mother.
Mayumi functions as the femme fatale archetype. Like Jemat, she is also an artificial one. Tanaka depicts this in her costume the first time we see her. She wears a blue dress (signifying water) on which there are flowers arranged like seaweed (as if in the sea).
The Terrible Mother is seen in Erin’s benign aspects earlier in the story. The first shot in the film is of gently-moving sea water followed by a dissolve to Erin and Kamal seen from above, sleeping upside down (a negative index, and remarkably similar to the opening and closing shots of the husband and wife in Chuchu Datok Merah). Erin, is however, not asleep. For some strange reason, the water is in her mind (a foreshadow?).
We see later (Erin’s point of view), the same scene of water superimposed on Jemat when he is telling his story of the jealous wife and unfaithful husband. Up to this point, the sea in her mind is still benign. It begins to become malignant as the story progresses, ‘devouring’ Kamal – and then Jemat.
Jemat becomes an unwitting victim when (in her imagination), she thinks she is going to be at his mercy by being alone on the boat. This occurs when Erin tells him not to address her anymore as Mrs. Kamal. He then, meaningfully, decides to call her “sayang” (dear). And as she drops the betel leaf into the sea and calls upon the crocodiles to ‘take him’, she is simply continuing the age-old traditions and culture inherent in her race – that of primitivism. It is an aspect that U-Wei Haji Saari himself has been exploring in his films.
If U-Wei has been exploring why the Malays are what they are, Yasu Tanaka raises other questions as enumerated above. His casting choice raises another interesting question.
Erin and Kamal have Malay names but they do not look Malay. And in reality, Hans, who plays Kamal, is a non-Malay while Maya who plays Erin is of Malay-German parentage. The woman in the love triangle is not Malay but Japanese!
As an outsider, Tanaka is probably trying to ask himself: is there such a thing as the Malay? And what is a Malay Muslim? Is he/she the one who discovers that there is a God only after being incarcerated? Tanaka comes from a homogenous society, and Malaysia, with its diverse races, cultures and religions, has probably become for him an interesting place to explore his ideas and thoughts. His next film should also be as provocative and interesting.
Welcome to Malay(sian) cinema, Tanaka-san! You might just be what we need…
POSTSCRIPT: If the Tourism Department of Sarawak expected a tourism-style film in return for all their assistance, they might have been disappointed. There are beautiful shots of mountains and sunsets but the colour grading of the scenes present them as ominous and foreboding (in the context of the story). Two hilarious scenes in Nota stand out, perhaps as Tanaka’s amusement of those involved in the tourism industry: the chalet clerk who gazes at the camera in a close shot, then suddenly grins and offers the key to the chalet and welcomes Erin and Kamal. He does the same when he receives the key from Erin and gives thanks. He does not ask where her husband is. Even here there is no humanity, only commerce…
Republished with permission from Hassan Abd Muthalib.
– Courtesy of Hassan Abd Muthalib, Aug 21, 2015
Sebuah reviu filem: ‘Nota’ ni patut hangpa take note!
Salam sinema (Norman Yusoff, et al., 2015)! Dah kenapa aku buat citation ni. Ni bukannya assignment! Anywhore…
Aku ni dah lama tak tulis reviu kat blog aku sendiri sebenarnya sebab aku syok tenggelam dalam arus kumpulan penagih filem dekat Facebook. Macam-macam jenis pengetahuan pasal filem aku tau kat situ, lebih dari apa yang aku belajar dalam sekolah filem aku. Nokharom. Bahaha! Eh, silap. Meh buat mukadimah reviu dulu.
Fuih. Berapa kali dah kemunculan semula aku nak buat ni. Filem terakhir aku reviu pun dah tahun lepas. Bapak! Filem Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day pulak tu (haram jadah rajin pulak aku taip tajuk penuh dia). Filem bodoh je pun, tapi yang masih menghiburkan. Memang escapism habis. Tapi, filem yang ada Maya Karin kat poster (hai, awak!) boleh kira macam versi ringan kepada filem paling hipster yang tak mengaku dia hipster, Bunohan, arahan Dain Said (pasai apa aku cakap gini, teruskan membaca). Mari aku reviu filem Nota, yang baru keluar minggu lepas tapi nak mampus dah tarikh tayang dia (Skim Wajib Tayang untuk filem ni macam tak dapat pengesahan je… kesian!). Nasib baik tergerak hati aku nak tengok satu-satunya showing kat MBO Space U8 11.30 am semalam. Nasib baik jugak aku dan adik aku (NI paling penting sebenarnya!) sangat berpuas hati!
Menariknya, filem ni disutradarai oleh tuan Yasu Tanaka yang berbangsa (ehem, maaf aku cakap benda ni) ex-penjajah negara kita dan diterbitkan oleh bininya Bea Tanaka, yakni rakyat kita! Comel, kan? Laki bini jadi tunjang utama filem ni. Pengarah fotografi dia pun orang import jugak. Susah nak taip nama dia ni, jadi korang bolehlah kot zoom-in poster kat sebelah ni kalau korang kisah apa dia buat kat visual filem ni.
Baiklah. Teruskan membaca, ya? Aku nak reviu dah ni.
Secara asasnya, plot cerita ni pasal hubungan Erin (Maya Karin) dan Kamal (Hans Isaac) yang atas sebab tertentu mempunyai sedikit keregangan. Dengan harapan nak pulihkan hubungan suami isteri depa, depa pergi semula ke tempat depa bertemu dan jatuh cinta… tapi, semuanya berubah bila Erin terjumpa… jeng, jeng, jeeeeeng… sebuaaaaaah… nota! Lepas tu benda lain pulak yang jatuh. Jadi, itulah rumusan plotnya. Nak tau lebih lanjut? Nanti tunggulah kalau-kalau Astro First nak tayang atau keluar DVD nanti, sebabnya korang dikira ahli sihir kalau dapat jumpa waktu tayangan lepas ni.
Baik. Sekarang mari aku mulakan benda yang aku agak berkarat nak buat.
Kalau korang perasan, aku ada petik nama Bunohan kat mukadimah aku, kan? Sebabnya aku bandingkan filem ni dengan magnum opus Dain Said setakat ni ialah kerana cara Yasu Tanaka ketengahkan filem ni; penceritaan secara visual. Dialog masih ada, tapi tak seberat Bunohan, yang bagi aku sebenarnya memang sengaja diisi berat dengan komentar sosial institusi negara dan masyarakat. Filem ni lebih kepada masalah peribadi individu; ini membuatkan filem ni lebih dekat dengan kita. Isu yang paling ketara kat sini mestilah masalah rumah tangga. Jadi, kebanyakan visualnya, walaupun sebenarnya nak tunjuk gelapnya hidup pasangan ni masa kat KL dan betapa cantiknya Taman Negara Bako, Sarawak masa bahagian vacation dalam filem ni, sebahagian besar daripadanya jugak berperanan sebagai petunjuk ke atas apa yang akan berlaku. Agak pekat jugak bahasa filem dalam Nota ni, tapi aku rasa kalau layman cuba kasi can dekat kerja pengarah fotografi dan penulis skripnya, aku rasa korang akan rasa sangat awesome; korang tengok je prop dan objek yang difokuskan tu pun, dah boleh faham cerita. Tak perlu nak letak dialog meleret.
Dialog dalam filem ni pun sangat minimalis; dan memang sangat bergantung kepada keberkesanan para pelakon pegang watak mereka melalui mimik muka dan gerak tubuh.
Visual dia? Subhanallah. Indahnya! Tak ada satu pun yang out-of-place. Semuanya ada tempat dan peranannya dalam filem ni; pokok berduri, signage pasal buaya, shot tengah laut (lagi-lagi formasi batu yang ditepek sekali dalam logo filem ni, damn!), awan mendung/senja, dan sebagainya. Semua tu bukan untuk cantik semata-mata. Semua ada maksud. Macam aku cakap tadi, pengarah fotografi filem ni tau apa dia buat doh! Visual dia pun macam aku cakap pasal dialog tadi; sangat minimalis. Sama dengan shot-shotnya. Ada main sikit je. Tapi editing dan bunyian diegetic dan non-diegetic banyak membantu dalam mencemaskan babak yang perlu dicemaskan, dan tiada editing kalau babak tu memerlukan ketenangan dan keindahan. Tak perlu keterujaan pada setiap babak; hanya pada tempat tertentu. Yasu Tanaka ni tau dia tengah mengarah filem drama psiko, maka drama psikolah yang dia bagi kat kita. Sangat fokus!
Sekarang aku nak cakap pasal lakonan pulak. Bagi aku, Maya Karin ni adalah jugak asas lakonannya. Tak bagus sangat dan tak teruk sangat. Tu nasib baik shot, warna, dan muzik berjaya timbulkan ke-psiko-an si Erin tu dan membantu tutup sikit kelemahan Maya Karin. Si Hans plak, sejak dia jadi best bud dengan Afdlin Shauki, dah susah aku nak bayangkan dia berlakon serius. Ironiknya, English dia aku rasa awkward masa babak dia bercakap dengan skandal dia tu. Yang mencuri perhatian sebenarnya watak arwah Ramli Hassan. Wow. Sarcasm tahap dewa dialog dia. Mimik muka dia pun se-sarkastik dialognya. Personaliti watak drebar bot tu sangat mengancam! Dia orang kampung tempatan dalam filem ni (dan jugak betul-betul sebenarnya; Bako ni pun memang kampung arwah) dan dia berjaya bawak watak dia dengan berjaya sekali. Tutur kata dia sebenarnya adalah petanda kepada peristiwa yang bakal berlaku, tapi dia cakap tu ala-ala gurau senda waktu malam je. Aku tak familiar pulak celah loghat Sarawak ni, tapi cara dia bercakap tu sangat meyakinkan untuk watak penduduk asal bumi Sarawak tu. Sayangnya, dia ni pergi dulu sebelum kita semua. Ada orang cakap, dia ni jarang berlakon filem. Tapi, bila dia berlakon, bukannya filem sampah tau. Innalillah, Ramli Hassan. Semoga tenang kau tau filem terakhir kau ni awesome di sana. Amin.
Akhir kata… aku musykil tentang penerimaan stesen TV pasal filem ni untuk tayangan Hari Raya akan datang, biarpun penghias utama filem ni ialah si jelitawan Maya Karin dan si kacak Hans Isaac. Kalau takat PPV atau VOD lepas lagi ni. Gila. Sangat rugi bagi mereka yang tertinggal nak menonton filem ni disebabkan kesibukan hidup (ini aku maafkan) dan scepticism yang tinggi terhadap filem Malaysia tapi lebih memilih untuk tonton sampah Hollywood (aku tengok hang ni, Fant-4-Stic; dan ini alasan paling aku rasa nak hukum bagi mereka yang telah melakukannya!). Filem ni sangat berfikiran ke hadapan kalau kita lihat dalam konteks industri kita sahaja. Serius. Paling similar pun dengan Bunohan; tapi persamaannya terhenti dekat teknik penceritaan yang visualistik sahaja. Benda lain, sangat bijak diolah! Cerita pasal curang jugak, tapi tak adalah macam dalam novel cintan haram Melayu tu!
Serius. Kalau dapat tengok, tengok! Nota ni patut hangpa take note!
P/S: Terima kasih kepada seorang ahli group Movie Addict yang aku tak ingat nama dia siapa (maaf ye; group tu beribu ahli kot!) sebab pi gatai tunjuk trailer filem ni dan menggerakkan hati aku untuk menyokong produksi yang sangat memerlukan sokongan rakan senegara mereka. Juga berterima kasih kepada Bea Tanaka sebagai wakil kepada sekumpulan manusia berbakat yang menjayakan filem ni yang tak henti-henti secara peribadi menghargai para penyokong mereka! Tahniah! Dan harap rezeki korang dan pembikin filem hebat yang lain mencurah-curah nanti; kalau bukan kat tanah air sendiri, kat luar pun tak apa. Insya-Allah.
P/S 2: Al-Fatihah buat arwah Ramli Hassan. Semoga beliau berada dalam golongan yang beriman. Sebuah warkah yang indah buat arwah, team Nota!
– Courtesy of Ikhwan Radzali, Aug 20, 2015
Apabila cinta menjadi dendam
CINTA kadangkala menyakitkan. Cinta juga kadangkala membawa kepada kebencian dan dendam yang mendalam. Kerana cinta manusia cenderung melakukan sesuatu yang tidak terduga malah hanya ada satu garisan halus yang memisahkan cinta dan benci.
Begitulah yang cuba dibayangkan dalam filem artistik bertajuk Nota arahan dan tulisan warga Jepun, Yasu Tanaka ini. Filem yang mengetengahkan genre psikologi thriller ini mengajak penonton memahami tentang apa yang akan terjadi pada sebuah perhubungan yang hambar tanpa komunikasi.
Nota merupakan filem pertama terbitan syarikat produksi 42nd Pictures yang diterajui pasangan suami isteri merangkap penerbit filem ini, Yasu dan isterinya, Bea Tanaka.
Dalam usaha mempromosikan keindahan alam semula jadi di hutan Taman Negara Bako Negeri Sarawak, filem ini dilihat berjaya mencapai matlamatnya kerana sinematografi yang indah begitu menaikkan mood penonton dalam menjiwai setiap kejadian.
Filem yang setanding kualiti luar negara ini mempersembahkan dialog minima, namun, pengarah berjaya menggarap emosi melalui angle kamera dan pendekatan komunikasi visual dalam penceritaan; menjadikan setiap babak mudah difahami penonton.
Nota mengisahkan Kamal (Hans Isaac) dan Erin (Maya Karin), pasangan suami isteri yang terperangkap dalam krisis rumah tangga setelah gagal mendapatkan cahaya mata.
Dalam usaha menyelamatkan rumah tangga, Erin merancang percutian. Malangnya, di sebalik cubaan memenangi hati sang suami, Erin telah mengetahui Kamal mempunyai hubungan sulit dengan sahabatnya sendiri. Tanpa berfikir panjang, Erin merancang pembunuhan suaminya dan mahu menggunakan sekeping nota sebagai alibi untuk mencipta peristiwa seakan-akan Kamal membunuh diri.
Lakonan teraju utama filem ini, Maya Karin sememangnya tidak perlu dipertikaikan lagi. Dalam setiap lenggok tubuh dan permainan ekspresi wajah, Maya begitu menyerlahkan emosinya yang amat kecewa dan berdendam dengan sang suami dan sahabat.
Begitu juga lakonan Hans yang membantu menyokong dan melengkapkan karakter Maya sebagai seorang isteri yang terganggu secara psikologi.
Umumnya, semua pelakon membawa peranan masing-masing dengan baik dan mudah difahami karakternya.
Mercu tanda Bako
Bagi mereka yang mengagumi keindahan semula jadi, filem ini menyajikan anda banyak pemandangan indah yang tak mungkin kita lihat di mana-mana destinasi lain di dunia. Rakaman yang dibuat dari atas helikopter juga membuahkan panorama asyik dengan imej Cobra
Rock yang menjadi mercu tanda Taman Negara Bako.
Kampung Bako pula adalah kampung nelayan yang terletak di muara Sungai Bako di mana terletaknya pertembungan di antara Sungai Sarawak dan Laut China Selatan.
Apa yang penulis dapat lihat adalah pasang surut air begitu mempengaruhi filem ini malah penonton mempelajari sesuatu mengenai cara hidup masyarakat setempat di mana pendapatan mereka amat bergantung pada alam.
Begitu juga elemen air dan kitaran alam semula jadi yang menjadi motif utama filem Nota. Terdapat babak Erin dan Kamal tersekat dalam bot di tengah-tengah sungai kerana air surut dan situasi pemandu bot yang dimarahi pelancong tanpa memahami kesukaran hidup
penduduk setempat.
Ia adalah pengajaran umum.
– Courtesy of Nor Khalilah Gusti Hassan from Sinar Online, Aug 15, 2015
Sinematografi indah jadi taruhan ‘Nota’
Filem ‘Nota’ yang mula ditayangkan semalam memberikan satu penontonan berbeza kepada penonton tempatan apabila mempamerkan kecemerlangan dari segi aspek pengarahan, sinematografi dan juga jalan cerita.
– Foto Empire Filem Solution
Read more: http://bm.therakyatpost.com/buzz/2015/08/14/sinematografi-indah-jadi-taruhan-nota/#ixzz3k5JUvgai
Filem: Nota
Penerbit: 42nd Pictures Sdn. Bhd.
Pengarah: Yasu Tanaka
Pelakon: Hans Isaac, Maya Karin, Allahyarham Ramli Hassan dan Rin Izumi
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Tarikh tayangan: 13 Ogos 2015
ULASAN:
Selepas sekian lama menantikan filem ini ditayangkan, akhirnya ia berjaya juga menemui penonton tempatan bermula hari Khamis lalu.
Sesuatu yang menarik tentang filem Nota ini apabila ia mendapat sentuhan seorang pengarah dari Jepun, Yasu Tanaka yang bukan sembarangan pengarah.
Barangkali namanya agak asing untuk khalayak di negara ini tetapi, nama Tanaka sebenarnya antara nama yang agak besar di pentas perfileman antarabangsa.
Justeru, saya percaya dengan pengalaman yang dimiliki oleh Tanaka mampu memberikan sesuatu yang berbeza menerusi filem Nota. Apatah lagi apa yang menarik perhatian saya adalah gandingan pertama Hans Isaac dan Maya Karin di layar perak.
Ternyata, telahan saya itu tidak silap dan saya akan mengatur ulasan saya ini secara berperingkat di mana ada pro dan kontra tentang filem Nota.
Biasalah. Dalam mana-mana penerbitan filem sekalipun, tidak ada yang sempurna dan perkara itu juga sebenarnya tidak terlepas dalam Nota.
Pertamanya, saya memuji teknik pengarahan Tanaka yang saya sifatkan sebagai bijak dan sangat berbeza dengan sentuhan pengarah tempatan.
Maaf, bukan mahu menjadi bias atau menidakkan kemampuan pengarah tempatan tetapi apa yang dipersembahkan oleh Tanaka pada perspektif saya penuh dengan maksud tersirat dan tersurat menerusi teknik yang diguna pakai.
Saya percaya semuanya itu ada kaitan dengan latar belakang pendidikan dan budaya Tanaka sendiri kerana semua itu jelas kelihatan dalam filem Nota.
Suntingannya juga memainkan peranan penting dalam menggerakkan lagi jalan cerita lalu menjadikan Nota lebih terarah kepada sebuah filem art house yang memiliki nilai artistik tersendiri.
Sebagai contoh, teknik pengarahan dan suntingan sewaktu babak nasi lemak dimasak adalah sesuatu yang di luar jangkaan saya sebagai seorang penonton. Walaupun nampak ringkas tetapi, jika diamati dan diperhatikan, semuanya ada maksud tersendiri.
Tidak hanya itu, kelebihan filem Nota atau dalam erti kata lain, yang menjadikan filem ini kelihatan indah di layar lebar adalah sinematografinya yang saya sifatkan terbaik.
Ternyata pengarah fotografinya, Maximilian Schmige bijak mengeksploitasi keindahan negeri Sarawak dalam memberikan satu penontonan yang memberikan keindahan di mata penonton.
Sekali pandang, saya melihat filem Nota seperti gabungan antara filem cereka dan dokumentari pula. Ternyata sebagai pengarah, Tanaka amat menitik beratkan aspek teknikalnya dalam melancarkan lagi perjalanan filem ini.
Mengenai aspek lakonan pula, saya memang teruja untuk melihat gandingan pertama dua pelakon ternama tanah air kerana belum pernah mereka disatukan yang pada hemat saya, sesuatu yang tidak pernah terfikir oleh mana-mana karyawan tempatan.
Seperti mana yang dikatakan oleh Hans dan Maya, mereka memang tidak mahu menjadi terlalu serasi di lokasi penggambaran. Penjelasan mereka itu sebenarnya ada rasionalnya dan barulah saya faham mengapa mereka bertindak sedemikian.
Keserasian itu sebenarnya ada dan Hans serta Maya berjaya membawakan watak masing-masing dengan permainan emosi dalaman yang telah menterjemahkan karakter mereka di skrin. Saya turut memuji lakonan Allahyarham Ramli yang sebenarnya menimbulkan misteri kepada penonton tentang siapakah dirinya sebenar.
Lontaran vokal, bahasa tubuh dan ekspresi wajah beliau sangat menyakinkan sehingga membuatkan penonton meragui kehadirannya dalam hubungan Kamal dan Erin.
Di sebalik kecemerlangan Nota itu, kelemahan filem ini sebenarnya terletak kepada perjalanan filem yang boleh dikategorikan sebagai perlahan.
Bagi saya, plot dan konflik Nota mudah difahami dan ia boleh dibikin dengan mudah sebenarnya tanpa perlu membuatkan penonton berasa resah untuk menanti adegan seterusnya.
Akan tetapi, sebagai pengarah dan penulis skrip, saya percaya Tanaka mahu penonton menikmati sebuah filem yang bukan klise seperti mana yang sering disajikan kepada kita.
Dan, dari aspek itu, Tanaka berjaya dan semoga penonton tempatan dapat menghargai kesungguhan beliau untuk memberikan satu sajian baru kepada khalayak filem.
– Courtesy of Shazryn Mohd. Faizal from The Rakyat Post, Aug 14, 2015
* Sebelum menyertai The Rakyat Post, penulis pernah berkhidmat sebagai wartawan hiburan di sebuah syarikat penerbitan akhbar terkemuka selama enam tahun dari 2006 hingga 2012. Penulis juga merupakan graduan Sarjana Komunikasi dengan pengkhususan dalam Pengajian Skrin dari Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang.
5 Reasons to watch “Nota”
“NOTA” is centered on estranged married couple, Kamal and Erin, who are gradually growing distant after being unable to conceive a child. For their 10th anniversary, they decide to revisit the place where Kamal had first proposed to her, in hopes that it would rekindle their love and give their marriage a second chance. However, on their journey as Erin discovers a note written by Kamal that he has other intentions, Erin begins hatching a plot of her own to end their marriage, with the help of the boatman Jemat, who brings them to their place of memories.
Marketed at this year’s Cannes Marché du Film, the composition that makes up this psycho-thriller is one that is beyond your everyday Malaysian production which has made us more curious to see what the result could be. So, as it comes to Malaysian screens this 13 August, here’s our 5 reasons why you should go and see “Nota”!
Maya Karin and Hans Isaac
Despite how Malaysian movies are prone to recycling their leads from a small circle of well-known stars, the stars have not aligned to put together industry veterans Maya Karin and Hans Isaac on the same screen, until now. This pairing alone may already be dazzling with enough star power to attract audiences who like to see their stars together, but we are hoping that both of these actors would bring a higher level of performance as the estranged couple.
Both actors had only agreed to take the lead roles of “Nota” because they were impressed by the script, and Hans Isaac said that this could be his last acting role until he sees another character that is as well written and driven by the script as “Nota”. What this could mean to us is that both these actors are taking their roles in “Nota” very seriously, so we will be looking for a performance, rather than an appearance.
“Nota” will be dedicated to the late actor Ramli Hassan, who makes his last performance as the boatman that sends the couple to the place to rekindle their love. The Best Actor nominee at the 20th Malaysia Film Festival was also pivotal in setting the location of “Nota” in Bako, Sarawak which is his hometown.
If the cast wasn’t already enough to catch our attention to see “Nota”, then it was certainly most curious to see a Japanese director making a Malaysian movie. “Nota” will be the feature debut for director Yasu Tanaka, and the first picture to come out from his Malaysian-based production house, 42nd Pictures. While his only best-known credentials to come before this is him directing the Astro mini-drama series “Lari Sayang Lari”, but he has an extensive experience as a scriptwriter and script consultant of more than 20 years in Hollywood and Japan. Tanaka has also run several scripting workshops for FINAS, so if our expectations was not only for the visuals, it would surely have a strong story.
While selecting a location for “Nota”, the producers had a choice between shooting it in Sabah or Sarawak, and the decision evidently landed to film at the Bako National Park in Sarawak which was partly influenced by late actor Ramli Hassan who hailed from the nearby Kampung Bako. Located at the meeting point between the Kuching Rivers and the South China Sea, it is home to a diverse ecosystem that would serve as the perfect place with visual metaphors and symbolism aplenty (watch out for the crocodiles). It is not every day that one would get to see a different side of East Malaysia, even in local productions, and we have already seen a few impressive footages taken from Bako, that might draw you to pay a visit.
Made by local and international talents
If “Nota” becomes a success at the box office, then it might represent a new model of production that could equate to a better quality of movies being made in Malaysia. By using the faces of a highly recognisable cast in front of the camera and a professional international crew working behind it; this new mix could be something that would take the Malaysian movie out of its creative rut. Aside from having a Japanese director, “Nota” is also shot by Finish cinematographer, Maximilian Schmige. Not all the work is just being done by foreigners though, it has been noted that the special effects work was done by the Center of Content Creation from LimKokWing University.
– Courtesy of Casey Lee from Cinema Online, Aug 12, 2015
Hans Isaac, Maya Karin tidak serasi dalam filem ‘Nota’
KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Ogos:
Jika pelakon lain yang digandingkan untuk mana-mana filem mahupun drama, seboleh-bolehnya mereka akan mencari keserasian terlebih dahulu bagi menjiwai watak masing-masing. Namun, ia berbeza dengan dua pelakon ternama tanah air, Hans Isaac dan Maya Karin yang pertama kali digandingkan dalam filem Nota arahan Yasu Tanaka yang akan mula ditayangkan di pawagam tempatan bermula 13 Ogos ini.
Secara terangan, Hans atau nama sebenarnya Gerald Hans Isaac itu mengakui bahawa mereka tidak mahu mencari keserasian semata-mata mahu menghidupkan watak yang diberikan kepada mereka. Kata Hans yang membawakan watak Dr. Kamal dalam filem itu, ia adalah kerana watak tersebut memerlukan dirinya menjadi seorang suami yang bersikap dingin terhadap isterinya, Erin (lakonan Maya) kerana tiada lagi perasaan cinta dan kesefahaman antara mereka. “Justeru, jika kami mencari keserasian terlebih dahulu sebelum memulakan penggambaran, saya percaya hasilnya tidak akan menjadi seperti mana yang dapat disaksikan dalam filem NOTA. “Apa yang kami lakukan di lokasi adalah hanya bertemu sewaktu penggambaran dan setiap kali tamat penggambaran, kami tidak berbincang mahupun bertukar pendapat tentang apa yang kami sudah lakukan. “Dalam erti kata lain, saya dan Maya membuat hal sendiri setiap kali selesai penggambaran. Kami tidak mahu berlebihan mencari keserasian kerana bimbang ia tidak akan menjadi dan hidup di layar perak,” ujar Hans sambil dipersetujui oleh Maya.
Bekas pemenang Pelakon Pembantu Lelaki Terbaik Festival Filem Malaysia Ke-19(2006) menerusi filem Buli Balik itu berkata demikian sewaktu ditemui pada sidang media dan majlis tayangan perdana filem Nota yang berlangsung di Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, baru-baru ini. Sementara itu, bagi Maya pula, dia tidak berhadapan dengan kesukaran bergandingan dengan Hans biarpun kali pertama mereka digandingkan di dalam filem. Tambah bekas pemenang Pelakon Wanita Terbaik Festival Filem Malaysia sebanyak dua kali itu lagi, biarpun mereka tidak menghabiskan masa bersama untuk mencipta atau mencari keserasian antara satu sama lain, namun, itu tidak menghalang dia dan Hans untuk memberikan persembahan yang terbaik. “Kami memang sengaja mahu meminimumkan keserasian itu kerana watak kami banyak bermain dengan emosi dan bahasa tubuh tanpa perlu melontarkan dialog.
“Bukan hanya dari aspek lakonan, tetapi jalan cerita filem NOTA juga sebenarnya banyak membantu dari segi penceritaan filem ini. “Apa yang saya harapkan agar ia dapat diterima dengan baik oleh penonton kerana filem NOTA memberikan satu pembaharuan yang pastinya memberikan satu penontonan yang berbeza,” jelas Maya penuh optimis. Selain Hans dan Maya, filem NOTA yang diterbitkan oleh 42nd Pictures Sdn. Bhd. ini turut dibintangi Allahyarham Ramli Hassan dan Rin Izumi.
– Courtesy of Shazryn Mohd. Faizal from The Rakyat Post, Aug 10, 2015
‘NOTA’ is opening in a few days so we went and chatted with its Director and Producer!
“I think there’s no secret formula to the success of Malaysian films,” mused Bea Tanaka.
“We just have to portray our stories in a way that is formatted or structured, with a story that everybody can understand.”
The Daily Seni was at 42nd Pictures to catch up with the Nota team and talk about the film’s prospects as well as their experience creating it. The film, due on the 13th of August, stars Maya Karin, Hans Isaac and Ramli Hassan and it has been gaining traction on the internet – exciting times lie ahead for the entire team!
As NOTA‘s producer, Bea isn’t holding her breath when it comes to their chances at the box office – 42nd Pictures has chosen to remain realistic with the prospects of releasing a film in the current cinematic climate. However, we still detected a dash of optimism in her voice when she claimed that local viewers are intelligent enough to receive a film like NOTA.
Despite boasting big names, the psychological thriller is done in a rather different style; it’s a movie laden with more details than the average blockbuster and it’s also not very dialogue-driven. With NOTA, director Yasu Tanaka has gone with a more visual approach that requires some amount of brainpower from audiences.
Finding and catering to markets
Bea initially faced an uphill battle in trying to get international sales agents interested in NOTA.
“The first thing I’m asked is, what language is your film? You say it’s not in English and that’s strike one,” she began.
“Then they ask if you have international stars in the film – strike two.”
“A lot of people told us that the production value of the film was great but because it’s not in English and it doesn’t have globally-recognized stars, it took us almost a year before we got someone interested in NOTA.”
In the end, New York-based sales agent and distributor Striped Entertainment picked up the international version of the film. It’s now slated for a summer release in the US.
Interestingly, the international version of NOTA comes with a different ending in order to appeal to overseas audiences. The version airing locally was made with the Film Censorship Board (LPF) in mind, but Yasu Tanaka’s original intent wasn’t far off.
“This was the ending I had originally envisioned for the Malaysian version,” revealed Yasu, whose favourite directors include David Fincher (for visual style) and Alexander Payne (for writing).
“It was our international sales agent who recommended we changed the ending for overseas distribution.”
The alternate ending didn’t require any reshoots – director of photography, Finnish-American Maximilian Schmige, managed to change the outcome of the story by reshuffling several scenes.
Figuring out local cinema
Although this is Yasu’s first Malaysian feature film, the American citizen has been teaching scriptwriting and script analysis at the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS). He explains that his lessons may illustrate the building blocks of writing an effective story, but there’s no guarantee that these scripts will end up becoming top-grossing movies.
“What I teach is the basics of scriptwriting, that there is a formula to writing a story… But this doesn’t mean you’ll definitely end up with something that is going to be successful or manages to please everybody,” he stated. “In writing my own work, I tend to break the rules – NOTA is not a film that follows formulas on the dot. My classes are focused on basic scriptwriting, it’s a skill that everyone in the industry should know.” To Yasu, the ability to write a properly structured script is an integral part of the filmmaking process. He believes that once our filmmakers have a solid foundation in scriptwriting, they can start taking chances and exploring ideas. “Before one breaks any rule, one must first know the rules,” noted Yasu wisely. It took a while before Yasu Tanaka began directing films in Malaysia. His exposure to Malaysian cinema only began after his encounter with Bea, who would send DVDs of local films all the way to Japan so Yasu could look into them.
“Once I decided to teach in FINAS, I started to do my homework. Cicakman, Cuci… Bea would send me these films so I can study them because I tried to analyze Malaysian films for my class.”
“That’s when I picked up Cuci to analyze as it was properly formatted – there’s a clear distinction between the acts in the film,” Yasu revealed.
Cuci was the 2008 comedy film directed by Harith Iskandar and Hans Isaac which starred Afdlin Shauki,Awie and Hans himself. In order to get Cuci into his class, Yasu first needed permission from Hans and that’s how they both made contact.
Bea recalls the first time they organised their script analysis class; among their students were renowned performers Sofia Jane, Vanidah Imran and Soffi Jikan.
“I was kind of starstruck.” she reminisced. “Around the same time, we interviewed Hans on Cuci and even got to meet Yasmin Ahmad too!”
Putting together a Malaysian film
On the subject of Hans, Bea noted that the script called for an actor who could speak fluent English. In NOTA, Hans plays Kamal, a doctor and a philandering husband who harbours secrets from his wife.
Casting for the film took almost a year and the team went through a whole slew of actors and actresses before deciding on Maya and Hans.
“The main criteria was for our actors to be physically fit. 80% of our shoot is done outdoors, so we didn’t want to hear complaints,” Bea told us, half in jest.
In fact, the characters in NOTA are rarely ever seen lounging comfortably. The story, set in Kuala Lumpur and Bako National Park in Sarawak, sees unhappy couple Kamal and Erin finding their way through unpleasant situations and generally remaining in a state of distress for much of the film.
Filming was made possible through a grant from the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM), which in turn was managed by FINAS. However, NOTA‘s RM1.8 million production budget mostly went towards shipping its crew and equipment to Bako and setting up camp there, which is not exactly the easiest place to film a movie.
The team spent a long time in pre-production under the guidance of Yasu (who Bea describes as “meticulous”) who did a substantial amount of research before they started putting things in place.
One of the trickier parts of creating NOTA was dealing with the tides in the Bako region, which also plays a huge part in the film. Based on our knowledge, the effects of the tides in the region are extreme in places where the river meets the ocean, and a dangerously low tide can result in a boat being stuck in the middle of the ocean.
“We studied the tide for a few months before attempting to shoot there. We have to take note of the times we could work with, and as a result our shooting schedule is based on this cycle,” informed Bea.
For those curious about what exactly went on behind-the-scenes, make sure to check out the beautifully done Making Of Nota segments on Youtube, narrated by Bea herself.
Building a home in the industry
Although all eyes and ears are on NOTA at the moment, 42nd Pictures have been busy working on future projects. Yasu was kind enough to show us his stories he’s been working on, all of them on a wall looking neat and organised.
From what we remember, work-in-progress The Transit is an interracial love story for youths, while Kina-Boleh, set in Sabah, revolves around the sport of ice-skating, something Yasu himself is familiar with.
Taking a step back and mulling over the slate of projects keeping 42nd Pictures busy, we notice something quite beautiful: these guys have some diversely quirky projects – Yasu’s offbeat concepts and ideas showcase multiple ethnicities and beautiful locations – and it’s all very Malaysian.
We find it endearing that the director sees Malaysia for what it is and tries to bring out its character through film. This is something Bea attributes to a simple case of “foreigner’s eyes” as she relates to us a story.
“When Yasu and I went to Cameron Highlands together for the first time, he made a number of observations that opened my eyes up to his perception,” she began.
“We’d drive up the hills and through the forests, and he’d look at them and say that us Malaysians have our very own Jurassic Park. He’d see all these things we see everyday, for example a kampung or a freeway, but from a foreign point of view.”
One day however, Yasu asked a question that stumped Bea during his round of observations. After noticing interactions between his wife and her diverse set of friends, Yasu wanted to know why he doesn’t see this remarkable aspect of our country represented in film.
In fact, this made us think a fair bit and we noticed that actual, multi-ethnic Malaysian society is rarely ever depicted in commercial films.
Last year’s Cuak was an anomaly; it was a critically-acclaimed piece composed of five segments by different directors utilising a mixed-race cast and multiple languages. In any case, despite underperforming at the box office, we’re glad that the film is back in the limelight thanks to its nominations at the Festival Filem Malaysia (FFM) this year.
“Having the chance to visit Los Angeles and Japan, I realized that Malaysia doesn’t have a clear identity in the film market,” Bea explained.
“Hence, we’re trying to push local culture and locations in our films – like our depiction of Sarawak in NOTA, for example.”
Making the most out of Boleh-land
The couple acknowledge that the relaxed nature of operations at FINAS gives them plenty of time to prepare and plan projects as well as work on other ventures. According to Yasu, things happen “twice as fast in Japan” when it comes to administration of the film industry.
It’s a blessing in disguise; even if the slow pace might mean longer wait times in getting his films produced, it also gives the couple enough space from the feature film industry to help out with the Short Shorts Film Festival.
Both Yasu and Bea are entrusted by the festival’s organisers in Japan with the task of handling festival operations in Malaysia.
“Even if it’s just a small event, it’s not easy. We were hired to be in charge of the festival here in Malaysia, and maintain a certain standard that has been established by the organisers,” revealed Bea.
“The festival has been running for around 19 years. In fact, the Grand Prix winner of Short Shorts is also eligible for submission to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.”
The couple has been doing this for five years, hosting the first three editions of the festival at FINAS before moving to Lim Kok Wing University for the most recent two. Every year, Short Shorts get between 4000 to 4500 submissions from all around the world, of which only a 100 will be shortlisted for the main competition. From this shortlist, Yasu and Bea pick 20 to 25 films to showcase in Malaysia.
“We want to show locals some really good quality films – this we can guarantee because they’re already shortlisted entries,” Bea explained.
“We believe that watching good international-quality short films will grow our industry.”
Last year’s festival was held on the 21st and 22nd of October, but it’s still early for the team to announce details on the 2015 edition (though they promise to keep us informed).
With that, we thanked the team and made our leave. For now, we’d like to say thank you to Yasu and Bea for giving us their time, and we wish them all the best for when NOTA opens this week.
We’d also like to ask all skeptics and fans of the movies to give this one a chance.
Don’t just wait for a cinematic experience like this to appear on Astro First. NOTA is not a film made for TV; watch it in a proper cinema or miss out on a potential chance to erase whatever prejudice you may have had towards the Malaysian film industry.
– Courtesy by Deric ECT from The Daily Seni, Aug 10, 2015
Filem-filem tempatan yang bakal menawan hati anda bulan Ogos ini!
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan! Bulan lapan tahun ini menyaksikan cuma lima tayangan filem tempatan baru di pawagam-pawagam berhampiran anda. Sekali imbas, Ogos seperti tidak berbeza dengan Julai, malah lima filem yang dikeluarkan bulan lepas juga berbeza dari segi genre, demografik sasaran dan nilai komersil.
Apa kata kita kaji prestasi industri filem tempatan bulan Julai!
Berdasarkan laman web Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia (FINAS), filem yang meraih kutipan paling besar bulan lepas adalah Vere Vazhi Ille, sebuah filem tamil yang berjaya mengumpul hanya RM167,965 selepas dua minggu di pawagam. Kalau inilah keputusan yang paling memberangsangkan di box office tempatan, ke manakah haluan industri filem negara?
Filem-filem yang dikeluarkan sempena Hari Raya Aidilfitri pula tidak berapa menarik bagi penonton-penonton – Suamiku Jatuh Dari Langit dan Gangsterrock: Kasi Sengat antaranya, mungkin menampilkan pelakon-pelakon dan selebriti senarai-A tetapi malangnya gagal mencecah kutipan RM100,000 selepas lima hari di pawagam!
Walaupun begitu, berita baiknya adalah minggu pertama bulan ini bakal mendukung ke layar perak sebuah filem yang menggandingkan bakat-bakat Indonesia dengan ahli-ahli seni tempatan. Ciliwung, Gudnite, arahan Dede Ferdinan (Misteri Cipularang), adalah salah satu daripada dua filem seram yang ditayangkan di sini bulan ini. Ia dibintangi Maria Farida, Alia Farhani, Dewi Amanda, Cleopatra Djapri dan ramai lagi pelakon yang kami tidak sedar wujud sebelum ini.
Inilah ciri yang paling ketara dalam tiga filem keluaran Ogos tahun ini.
Tiada bakat tempatan yang disayangi malah dikenali ramai yang menunjukkan muka di dalamCiliwung, Gudnite, The Noise, dan Misi Rayyan & Danish: Jangan Ambil Rumah Kami: ketiga-tiga filem ini harus cekap dengan pengendalian laman-laman sosial seperti Facebook danInstagram demi mengundang orang ramai ke pawagam kerana dari pandangan pertama macam tiada bajet untuk membuat promosi besar-besaran.
Setakat ini, Ciliwung, Gudnite sudahpun mengumpul sebanyak 111 suka dalam Facebook, manakala kami langsung tidak dapat jumpa laman-laman Facebook The Noise dan Jangan Ambil Rumah Kami selepas lima minit mencari-cari.
Tetapi tak mengapa. Kalau penerbit-penerbit filem-filem ini tidak cukup kisah untuk menggigihkan lagi promosi ataupun menyediakan maklumat yang senang diakses penonton, kami pun malas ingin meyakinkan para pembaca untuk menonton hasil kerja mereka. Malahan kami ingin kerajaan dan semua institusi kewangan menilai semula proses penganugerahan dana dan pinjaman wang kepada produksi tempatan yang tidak ada pelan promosi yang sah dan lengkap.
Siapa yang ingat filem animasi Oh! La La keluaran Infinite Motion bulan Mei lepas? Tiada seorang pun? Inilah yang kami maksudkan. Walaupun menelan belanja sebanyak RM4 juta, filem ini cuma meraih kutipan RM36,600 selepas 12 hari di panggung!
Kes sebegini yang kami langsung tidak suka: Oh! La La adalah salah satu filem tempatan (dihasilkan “menggunakan 100 peratus kepakaran tenaga seni kreatif anak-anak muda Melayu” seperti dilaporkan dalam Kosmo) yang dicipta melalui Dana Pinjaman Industri Kreatif ihsan kerajaan, tetapi gagal sama sekali di box office.
Kembali ke subjek asal: filem-filem bulan Ogos yang layak diberikan perhatian pula, dan ada dua karya besar bulan ini.
The Daily Seni amat tertarik dengan Nota, arahan Yasu Tanaka (Lari Sayang, Lari). Drama yang sedikit ngeri ini (namun amat mempesonakan dari segi visual) agak lain dari filem-filem tempatan yang sudah biasa kami tonton.
Pertama sekali, skripnya yang ditulis dalam Bahasa Melayu dan Bahasa Inggeris ini adalah hasil kerja pengarahnya yang berasal dari Jepun. Kedua, NOTA dibintangi Maya Karin dan Hans Isaac, kedua-duanya pelakon tempatan berbakat, disukai ramai, dan berbangsa campuran.
NOTA agak memukau dalam saat-saat ia berjaya dengan penyampaian ceritanya. Selain memaparkan sinematografi bertaraf antarabangsa (pengendalian bakat negara Finland, Maximilian Schmige), filem ini turut mendedahkan keindahan negeri Sarawak, terutamanya kawasan Bako yang dikenali dengan taman rimbanya.
Kami menyeru pada para pembaca supaya bersabar semasa menonton Nota.Berilah filem ini masa untuk menarik perhatian anda sepenuhnya kerana agak berbaloi tawarannya selepas tamat aksi terakhir.
Selain Nota, satu lagi filem keluaran bulan ini yang kami harap dapat memuaskan peminat-peminat karya tempatan adalah Jejak Warriors arahan Saw Teong Hin (Puteri Gunung Ledang,Hoore! Hoore!). Kami belum lagi dapat menyaksikan filem ini tetapi kami tahu ia sudah mencipta sejarah sebagai filem tempatan pertama (mungkin juga antarabangsa) yang dibintangi pasukan bola sepak sebenar.
The Red Warriors, pasukan bola sepak negeri Kelantan, memainkan peranan yang amat penting dalam filem bercorak kembara ini. Walaupun tiada pengalaman berlakon, pasukan The Red Warriors dapat memuaskan pengarahnya, yang sudah terkenal dalam dunia filem tempatan kerana sifat keperincian beliau semasa bekerja.
Sejak awal lagi,Jejak Warriors dijangka amat laris bila ia ditayang 27 Ogos nanti, tetapi perhimpuan Bersih 2.0 yang bakal berlaku pada 29 Ogos mungkin mempengaruhi jualan tiket minggu pertama filem ini di pawagam.
Kita berakhir dengan satu trivia yang agak menarik: tahukah anda bahawa filem ini hanya dapat ditayangkan di dalam dewan sahaja di negeri Kelantan?
Pengeluaran Jejak Warriors di Kelantan sebegini kerana negeri Darul Naim ini melarang sama sekali operasi panggung wayang. Buat yang terkejut, di situlah terletaknya kuasa undi anda setiap pilihanraya – pilihlah pemerintah anda dengan baik, demi kemajuan industri perfileman negara kita!
Baiklah tuan-tuan dan puan-puan, ini sahaja filem-filem yang kami ada untuk bulan ini. Semoga kumpulan maklumat dari kami ini sedikit sebanyak dapat membantu anda membuat keputusan yang lebih bijak di pawagam nanti.
Nantikan edisi bulan depan yang nampak penuh dengan hasil kerja berpotensi tinggi dari segi komersil, dengan judul-judul seperti Jwanita, Girlfriend Kontrak, Polis Evo, Bravo 5, dan Usop Wilcha Meghonjang Makhluk Muzium.
– Courtesy by Deric ECT from The Daily Seni, Aug 4, 2015
Maya, Hans serasi bersama
DUA figura hebat dalam industri hiburan bernama Maya karin dan Hans Isaac ini diketahui umum sebagaisahabat lebih sedekad. Ironinya, setelah sekian lama berkawan, inilah kali pertama digandingkan dalam sebuah filem berjudul NOTA, yang akan menemui penonton, 13 Ogos ini.
Mengakui teruja berlakon bersama Hans, Maya berkata, tidak susah untuk bekerjasama dengan orang yang beliau kenali dalam industri.
“Kami senang berlakon bersama. Terus-terang dalam filem ini tidak memerlukan kami menonjolkan keserasian bersama. Ini kerana saya memegang watak seorang isteri bernama Erin yang mempunyai masalah dalam rumah tangga.
“Hanya ada beberapa babak yang memerlukan kami beraksi mesra. Selebihnya tak bercakap dan tak ambil tahu antara satu sama lain,” kata Maya pada majlis pra tonton filem itu bersama media, baru-baru ini.
Bagaimana pun, pasangan ini pernah bekerjasama dalam pementasan teater bertajuk Supermokh arahan Hans. Diarahkan oleh warga Jepun, Yasu Tanaka, Nota adalah filem psikologi thriller yang mempersembahkan Hans (Kamal) dan Maya (Erin) sebagai pasangan suami isteri yang sedang mengalami krisis hubungan.
Naskhah ini lebih menjurus kepada watak Maya yang berdendam dengan si suami setelah mendapati beliau dikhianati pada waktu dia sedang berusaha memulihkan hubungan sempena ulang tahun ke sepuluh perkahwinan mereka.
Boroikan perut- Hans
Sementara itu, Hans berkongsi bahawa dia sepatutnya membintangi dua projek sebelum ini bersama Maya, namun tidak menjadi kenyataan atas sebab tertentu.
Bagaimana pun, setelah ditawarkan naskhah NOTA oleh Tanaka yang juga sahabatnya, pelakon berusia 43 tahun ini merasakan NOTA sebagai skrip yang sempurna untuk perkongsian lakonan sulungnya bersama Maya.
“Skrip ini adalah tepat untuk Maya dan saya, dan saya tahu dia boleh menjalankan peranan utama. Saya kata pada Maya, kita kena natural. Kurangkan make up dan saya perlu kelihatan tidak terurus untuk menggambarkan bahawa rumah tangga kami bermasalah.
“Saya makan banyak-banyak nak bagi perut boroi. Dekat set saya dan Maya banyak buat hal masing-masing. Lepas berlakon dia balik bilik dia sebab hotel kami berasingan dan saya balik bilik saya,” katanya.
Menjalani penggambaran di kawasan pedalaman Sarawak, dengan sebahagian besar adegan dirakamkan di Taman Nergara Bako, Hans berkata, itulah cabaran besar yang perlu dihadapi mereka.
“Saya sebenarnya lebih kasihankan kru. Mereka bekerja lebih untuk menjayakan filem ini. Pelakon tak ada susah sangat sebab kami ada tempat yang selesa, tapi kru kena buat macam-macam. Saya faham situasi mereka,” jelasnya. Hans berkata, meski pun berkawan baik dengan pengarah, dia sama sekali tidak terlibat dalam proses pemilihan pelakon, sebaliknya ia keputusan Tanaka seorang.
Hans berkongsi bahawa dia pada mulanya menolak tawaran Tanaka kerana jadualnya yang padat, namun setelah disesuaikan dengan masa, Hans akhirnya menerima projek tersebut.
NOTA mengisahkan Kamal dan isterinya Erin melalui hubungan yang semakin buruk kerana kegagalan untuk mendapatkan zuriat meski pun telah mencuba. Kecewa dan mahu menyelamatkan perkahwinan, mereka memutuskan untuk kembali ke tempat di mana mereka mula-mula jatuh cinta.
Dalam perjalanan di sana, Erin menemui nota ditulis oleh Kamal yang menjadikan dia curiga di atas sebab percutian itu lalu dia menjalankan suatu rancangan pembunuhan.
– Courtesy of Nor Khalilah Gusti Hassan from Kumpulan Media Karang Kraf, Aug 3, 2015
Masalah pertuturan, Maya Karin selesa berlakon tanpa dialog
PETALING JAYA: Pelakon Maya Karin selesa berlakon tanpa dialog panjang seperti dalam filem terbaharunya Nota biarpun terpaksa menzahirkan peranannya menerusi ekspresi dan bahasa tubuh.
Maya atau nama sebenarnya Maya atau nama sebenarnya Maya Karin Roelcke, 36, berkata, ini kerana sebutan bahasa Melayunya masih tidak sempurna biarpun sudah banyak terlibat dalam pelbagai filem sebelum ini.
“Bukan saya tidak selesa bercakap dalam bahasa Melayu tetapi kadang-kala sebutan saya itu masih ‘pelat’ dan apabila pengarah memberitahu peranan saya dalam Notatidak banyak dialog saya gembira.
“Namun bukan mudah untuk berlakon tanpa skrip kerana ekspresi dan bahasa tubuh perlu tepat dalam menggambarkan sesuatu keadaan,” katanya kepada mStar Online.
Filem NOTA arahan pengarah dari Jepun, Yasu Tanaka turut menampilkan barisan pelakon seperti Hans Isaac dan Ramli Hassan. Ia bakal ditayangkan di pawagam pada 13 Ogos ini.
Dalam pada itu, Maya berkata, pengalaman berlakon di bawah arahan Yasu sangat berbeza kerana dia begitu teliti dalam apa yang dimahukannya untuk filem berkenaan.
“NOTA adalah sebuah filem berbeza dalam pembikinannya kerana Yasu telah merancang semuanya sebelum penggambaran bermula selain pendekatan digunakan berbeza dan saya sebagai pelakon teruja dapat bekerja di bawah arahannya,” katanya.
Sementara itu, berkongsi pengalaman menjalani penggambaran di Taman Negara Bako, Sarawak, Maya berkata ia mencabar walaupun dia menyukai aktiviti lasak.
“Saya gemar bercuti dan melakukan aktiviti lasak termasuk berkunjung ke tempat seperti Taman Negara tetapi apabila bekerja saya dapati ia sangat sukar.
“Tetapi ia masih pengalaman menyeronokkan dan sebagai pelakon telah menjadi tanggungjawab saya untuk melunaskan amanah diberi,” ujarnya.
Dalam perkembangan lain, Maya masih giat mempromosikan album terbaharunya,Teka-Teki selain bakal mengadakan persembahan istimewa di Melbourne, Australia pada September depan.
– Courtesy of Mohd AL Qayum Azizi from MStar, Aug 3, 2015
Hans Isaac berpeluh kerana babak atas katil
KUALA LUMPUR: Kenal sudah lama, tetapi hanya baharu sekarang Hans Isaac berlakon bersama teman seperjuangannya, Maya Karin.
Membawakan watak suami isteri yang bermasalah selepas sedekad berkahwin termasuk gagal mendapat zuriat, dua pelakon ini mencerminkan keserasian tersendiri menerusi watak Erin dan Kamal di bawah kerja tangan pengarah dari Jepun, Yasu Tanaka.
Filem terbitan 42nd Pictures dengan genre misteri, jenayah dan psikologi ‘thriller’ ini memulakan penggambaran sejak April hingga Mei 2013 dan mengambil masa selama 26 hari untuk disiapkan di sekitar Sarawak dan Kuala Lumpur. Ia turut dibintangi arwah Ramli Hassan dan pelakon Jepun, Rin Izumi.
Hans bagaimanapun sebelum ini pernah mengarahkan Maya untuk pementasan teater muzikal Supermokh yang dipentaskan di Istana Budaya sekitar 2013.
Biarpun pertama kali bergandingan dengan Maya, Hans tidak melihat ia suatu masalah besar buatnya kerana babak yang banyak dilakonkan mereka banyak cenderung ke arah mainan emosi yang dingin.
“Boleh katakan Maya menjadi nadi kepada filem ini. Saya umpama sub plot untuk menolak karakternya supaya memberikan reaksi kepada apa yang cuba disampaikan. Saya memang sudah kenal Maya dalam tempoh lama.
“Nak wujudkan keserasian itu bukan beban. Secara realitinya pun hubungan kami seperti watak dalam filem ini. Di luar set penggambaran pun kami jenis yang kadang-kadang baik dan kadang-kadang tak bercakap.
“Memang tak susah nak masukkan karakter sebegitu di dalam filem. Kami pasangan suami isteri yang melalui episod hambar selepas beberapa tahun berkahwin. Hanya beberapa babak imbas semula sahaja yang memerlukan kami dalam situasi mesra.
“Semestinya saya bangga untuk berada sebaris dengan Maya antara bintang terbaik di negara kita,” katanya dalam pertemuan dengan BH Online di Cineleisure, The Curve baru-baru ini ketika pratonton filem NOTA diadakan.
Hans turut berkongsi pengalaman melakonkan babak intim dengan pelakon Jepun yang membuatkan beliau sendiri berpeluh satu badan.
“Babak intim berkenaan menjadi babak pertama yang saya lakukan. Hari pertama saya perlu buka baju dan berlakon dengan pelakon yang tak pernah ditemui sebelum ini. Ikutkan saya pernah melakonkan babak intim di Filipina berjudul “Miss You Like Crazy” tetapi ia ditayangkan di sana pada 2010. Risau juga kerana saya menghormati sensitiviti masyarakat di negara kita. Tapi apabila tengok filem ini, ia tidaklah keterlaluan
Saya dan pelakon itu perlu berada di dalam selimut. Memang janggal kerana saya memang tak kenal pelakon berkenaan. Tapi dengan sekali penggambaran kami berjaya memuaskan kehendak pengarah,” katanya.
Menurut pemilik syarikat Tall Order Production itu, filem ini secara jelas membawa Maya lari daripada kebiasaan.
“Selama ini, orang mungkin hanya lihat Maya menerusi watak pontianak sahaja dan romantik, tapi menerusi NOTA, Maya menyerlah sisi yang berbeza daripada lazimnya. Secara jujurnya filem ini memang tak perlu keserasian sangat kerana banyak babak antara saya dengan Maya memang dalam situasi dingin dan seperti ada dinding penghalang.
“Filem ini juga saya dan Maya tidak mengenakan solekan. Saya sendiri tak kisah berbadan buncit untuk menunjukkan realiti lelaki yang berdepan masalah rumah tangga. Saya sanggup pakai baju yang betul ketat untuk menampakkan perut buncit. Selalunya orang bermasalah ini, realitinya akan makan banyak untuk melupakannya,” kata Hans.
Mengenai tawaran berlakon filem ini, Hans memberitahu pengarahnya, Yasu melamar beliau sebanyak tiga kali.
“Ketika tawaran diterima, saya terikat dengan sebuah drama di Astro. Akhirnya selepas berbincang semula, saya akhirnya menyahut cabaran untuk sama-sama membintangi filem ini.
“Saya pun sudah lama kenal Yasu. Lagipun dia pernah menjadi penulis skrip bersama untuk filem Lemak Kampung Santan. Saya juga pernah mengambil kursus penulisan skrip bersamanya di FINAS sebelum ini.
“Filem ini mengingatkan saya kepada filem “Pesona Nan Grata” yang saya pernah lakonkan. Filem ini memang berpaksikan seni dan bukan seperti filem komersial yang saya pernah lakonkan. Selalunya kebanyakan penonton kita takkan menghargai filem ‘seni’ sebegini dan lebih mudah terbuka kepada filem komersial.
“Tapi filem ini pernah ditayangkan di Cannes, Perancis dan ia disambut baik. Tapi adakah penonton Malaysia boleh menerimanya. Apa apapun kita kena tunggu dan lihat,” katanya.
Filem NOTA akan ditayangkan di pawagam berhampiran mulai 13 Ogos depan.
– Courtesy of Zaidi Mohamad from BH Online, Jul 29, 2015
There’s a Malaysian thriller by a Japanese director starring Maya Karin & Hans Isaac out in two weeks
Last night was director Yasu Tanaka‘s big Malaysian moment. His so-called “baby”, NOTA, had its gala premiere at the Cathay, E-Curve.
Previously shown in Penang back in August 2014 for its cast members and then in the Marche du Filmsection of the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, NOTA is a psychological thriller starring Maya Karin,Hans Isaac and the late Ramli Hassan and it is set to hit Malaysian cinemas on the 13th of August.
Shortly before the screening began, director Yasu Tanaka took to the front of the room to recall his Malaysian beginnings.
Yasu first arrived in 2003 as part of Disney On Ice, but his career took a turn upon meeting actor Ramli Hassan, and a certain Tan Chooi Bea (the birth name of producer Bea Tanaka) who he eventually married.
The couple has been teaching scriptwriting and script analysis for many years, both involved in many programs and ventures by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS). Yasu wrote the bilingual script for NOTA while Bea produced the film.
Together, they formed 42nd Pictures and this marks the production house’s debut full-length feature film.
At one point, Yasu also explained that he had a choice of pursuing one of two projects in two separate locations – Sabah or Sarawak – but Ramli convinced him to go for Bako National Park in Sarawak. It was only much later that the team found out that Ramli himself was from the Bako region.
Post-screening praise from audience members largely went towards NOTA‘s director of photography,Maximilian Schmige, for the breathtaking cinematography in the film. Maximilian is a Finnish cinematographer known for his work in television, specifically for America’s Black Entertainment Network (BET).
Starring as the cold and brusque Kamal, Hans Isaac told members of the media that NOTA might be his last film.
“This could be my last film; in fact I’m going to say that this is my last film,” he stated during the question and answer session.
The actor confessed that he’s quite tired by the lack of quality local writing which explains why he hasn’t been doing many films lately.
“Good scripts are so hard to come by in Malaysia these days and I will not do a film if I’m not interested in its script. So you can consider this my last film until something really good comes along.”
His co-star Maya Karin also echoed this sentiment, noting the dearth of well-written scripts coming her way. However, she stated that she will continue pursuing roles that intrigue and challenge her but along the way “continue doing her Ombak Rindus” every once in a while.
The Daily Seni was present to watch the new Malaysian edit of the film, which was said to be different from the international version we watched back in Cannes and wrote about. We can tell you that the major difference between both versions of NOTA lie in their endings. To find out how exactly, make sure you watch it when it comes out in about two weeks!
Also in attendance were actresses Sofia Jane and Melissa Saila, Malaysian theatre goddess Sabera Shaik, renowned producers Dominique Hee and Sharon Gan, and author Mamu Vies.
– Courtesy of Deric Ect from The Daily Seni, Jul 29, 2015
Pengarah Jepun dedikasikan filem ‘Nota’ buat Allahyarham Ramli Hassan
PETALING JAYA: Pengarah berasal dari Jepun, Yasu Tanaka mendedikasikan filem arahannya berjudul NOTA kepada aktor Ramli Hassan yang meninggal dunia akibat kanser pada Mei lalu.
Yasu berkata, Ramli memainkan peranan besar dalam pembikinan filem lakonan Maya Karin dan Hans Isaac itu terutamanya dari segi idea untuk mengetengahkan keindahan Taman Negara Bako di Sarawak selain turut berlakon dalam karya berkenaan.
“Ketika projek ini masih dalam peringkat awal, Ramli adalah individu penting dalam menggerakkan filem ini terutamanya dari segi idea dan pemilihan lokasi penggambaran.
“Keindahan Taman Negara Bako di Sarawak dan penggunaan dialek tempatan adalah buah idea daripadanya. Sayang dia tidak dapat berada di sisi kami pada malam istimewa ini,” katanya kepada mStar Online.
NOTA adalah filem sulung berbahasa Malaysia pengarah itu. Ia adalah terbitan 42 Pictures Sdn Bhd dan bakal ditayangkan pada 13 Ogos depan.
Bagaimanapun kata Yasu, dia bersyukur impian aktor itu untuk menonton filem berkenaan di layar skrin besar tercapai ketika ia ditayangkan pada sebuah festival filem yang diadakan di Pulau Pinang pada Ogos tahun lalu.
Dalam pada itu, bercakap mengenai NOTA, Yasu berkata, filem itu mengangkat permasalahan hubungan suami isteri yang turut mendapat inspirasi daripada kisahnya sendiri.
Bagaimanapun kata Yasu, bagi memberikan nilai komersial dalam jalan ceritanya dia mengambil keputusan untuk mengangkat genre misteri dan jenayah sebagai plot utama.
“Ia sebenarnya sebuah kisah biasa yang dialami mana-mana pasangan berkahwin termasuk saya sendiri tetapi ia hanya sebagai teras kepada plot ditampilkan.
“Ketika saya menulis skrip NOTA saya ingin menampilkan kisah misteri dalam hubungan suami isteri dan bukan sekadar sebuah kisah biasa,” ujarnya.
Sementara itu, Yasu berkata, pemilihan Maya dan Hans dibuat berdasarkan pengalaman kedua-dua pelakon itu dan dia berpuas hati dengan persembahan diberikan.
“Untuk NOTA saya mencari pelakon bukan sahaja yang mempunyai karisma tetapi juga pengalaman hebat dalam bidang lakonan dan ternyata kedua-dua mereka memberikan persembahan luar biasa,” jelasnya.
– Courtesy of Mohd Al Qayum Azizi from The Star, Jul 29, 2015
4 Faktor Menarik Nota filem yang harus anda tonton Ogos Ini~ Trailer Review
Salam Ramadan…sedar x sedar da masuk hari kelimabelas kita menunaikan ibadah puasa..mmhh amacam puasa kurank…hahaha masing2 da dewasa..mesti lar x der problem kan…melainkan kalu berfamily…ada anak-anak nak kena melayan kerenah durang berpuasa lar kan..ok r..straight to de point .. NOTA..yer ‘Note’ apa yang u all tau tentang Note…bukan death Note yer anime japan tur …tapi ‘Note ‘dari filem Malaysia sendiri yang bertajuk NOTA..adakah Nota ini adalah Nota pembunuhan didalam konflik pasangan didalam filem ini iaitu Maya Karin dan Hans Issac.Hah Maya dan Hans …gandingan first time yg paling ditunggu-tunggu oleh rakyat Malaysia..ye lar obcouse kita akan pikir pembunuhan kalu melibatkan genre psycology(my expectation sebelum tonton) Apa yang membuatkan filem ini menjadi tarikan saya untuk diwarwarkan kepada anda Semua ke panggung bagi menonton NOTA ini…
Saya telah pun menonton trailer NOTA ini (kalu belum tonton boleh play trailer kat atas). Memang Awesome..suka tengok semasa scene jari menyentuh Akuarium ikan..tu, n nak tahu sangat kenapa camtu.. Yupp, Tanpa membuang masa saya senarai 4 pekara awesome pada pandangan saya kenapa anda dan saya perlu menonton Filem NOTA..
- Arahan Yasu Tanaka
Saya begitu yakin dengan penulis filem ini iaitu Yasu Tanaka. Mungkin kedengaran asing tetapi tahukan anda Yasu Tanaka merupakan seorang penulis skrip bertajuk Lemak Kampung Santan yang bagi saya adalah filem terbaik yang pernah saya tonton dari segi plotnya. Walaupun filem itu becorak seakan fantasi, namun dapat memberi gambaran realiti seakan benar-benar kejadian itu berlaku. Ianya berkenaan tanah rizab melayu dan dimasukkan tentang urusan diraja dan lain-lain amat menarik sekali mencetuskan satu keunikkan tersendiri dari sudut pemikiran..pedulikan kutukan orang terhadap filem Lemak Kampung Santan kerana mereka tidak melihat dengan mata hati…mereka tidak menilai dari konteks yang lebih berat kerana kita tahu sogokkan cerita-cerita ganster,hantu,pergaduhan dan rempit yang sangat didambakan mereka. (sory,,saya masukkn sedikit review pasal lemak kampung santan,sebab sebelum ini x berkesempatan nak tulis) Lagipun pengarah yang merupakan kelahiran Jepun.mampu memberi satu persepsi baru pada masyarakat bagaimana cabaran Yasu Tanaka menjiwai budaya Malaysia itu sendiri kepada penonton pertembungan budaya ini akan mewujudkan serampang dua mata kepada Malaysia-Jepun di mana Malaysia memilih dasar padang ke Timur yang dilihat pada zaman Tun Mahathir adalah berjaya. Oleh itu, filem NOTA diharap mampu membentuk satu persepsi yang lebih serius kepada pengkarya dalam mengangkat sesuatu tema dan mampu mencambah pengetahuan kepada masyarakat. Apa yang saya mahukan sekiranya filem ini dapat memberi satu elemen realiti seolah-olah benar-benar berlaku.
- Gandingan pertama Aktor dan Actress yang sangat powerr dalam era perfileman iaitu Maya Karin dan Hans Issac.
Berapa puluh filem yang mereka berlakon belum satu pun mereka pernah digandingkan. Hans Issac merupakan hero filem sejak dari zaman 90 an lagi dimana kebanyakan filem lakonannye mampu menarik jumlah penonton.Hans Issac tidak berhenti dizaman kegemilangan filem tahun 95 dan keatas tetapi di era tahun 2000 juga Hans issac banyak melakonkan filem-filem yang pernah mencatat kutipan tertinggi pernah digandingan dengan Nasha Aziz, Erra Fazirra dalam beberapa filem juga dikhabarkan sebagai gandingan yang hebat kerana dua-dua mempunyai aura tersendiri dalam lakonan mereka. Saya rasa kalau bukan Maya Karin sebagai heroin dalam filem ini, aktres kedua sesuai untuk ditempatkan sebaris dengan kredibiliti Maya adalah Nasha Aziz disebabkan lakonan Psycology Nasha Aziz dalam filem Trauma dan Puaka tebing Biru adalah sangat berjaya.
Seterusnya Maya Karin adalah perlakon yang mula mendapat perhatian pada lakonan hebatnya dalam filem Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam. Maya Karin memulakan lakonan dilayar lebar dalam filem No Problem dimana ketika itu Maya masih kaku dalam lakonan. Selepas 5 tahun, Maya berjaya menghidupkan lakonan nya sebagai Pontianak mungkin kesabaran dia mengikuti kursus lakonan membuatkan dia memenangi pelakon wanita terbaik di Festival filem di Spain itu merupakan penghargaan yang tidak disangka-sangka olehnya. Selepas itu dia selalu digandingkan dengan Rusdi Ramli dan Farid Kamil dimana kesemua lakonanya berjaya dengan karakter berlainan jadi gabungan Maya Karin dan Hans Issac adalah bertepatan kerana kedua-dua mempunyai pencapaian yang berjaya. Petaruhan ini membuatkan mereka sebagai gandingan yang mantap dan wajar ditonton oleh penggemar movie tempatan pada era 90 an dan keatas.
3. Menggunakan Taman Negara Bako, Sarawak sebagai latar filem
Bagi saya ini merupakan pertama kali, seumpamanya latar filem malaysia menggunakan Taman Negara Bako, Sarawak sebagai lokasi pengambaran. Sebenarnya tanah Borneo merupakan tempat yang paling bagus untuk didedahkan sebenarnya. Selain Sabah yang rancak dengan dokumentari untuk produk Antarabangsa, Sarawak perlu dipaparkan kepada masyarakat bertapa cantiknya khazanah borneo. Selama ini,kita sering melihat kebanyakkan lokasi pengambaran dibuat di area Terengganu, Langkawi serta Cameron Highland. Acap kali dipaparkan latar membuat penonton bosan. Kali ini, pemilihan lokasi adalah daya penarik filem ini untuk mendapat kutipan pecah panggung..
4. Dialog yang dapat Menangkap Jiwa
“Langit bertemu laut disitu tempatnya” ..apa yg disampaikan dari sepucuk Nota tu?
5. Visual Sinematografi yang Indah
Tengok jer visual yang terpampang dalam NOTA sudah semestinya pengarah mempertaruhkan sinematografi yang sememamng nya cantik apabila penggunaan establish shot yang berskala besar dan gambaran dilautan biru dan bot dinaiki Maya sungguh mempesonakan dan elemen silheaulte..macamaneh tah eja semasa babak romantik Hans dan Maya dibiaskan cahaya senja menampakkan bayang..superb scene semasa jari maya menyentuh akuarium..close-up shot yang sangat memberi persoalan sycology.
Diharap filem ini mampu menerjah ke beberapa negara asean seperti Indonesia dan Thailand yang kini kita tahu filem-filem mereka kini semakin mendapat perhatian Antarabangsa..dari aspek cerita dan aktor..yesss..lepas ney saya nak kena pergi tengok movie ney kat panggung lah. NOTA diterbitkan oleh 42nd Picture akan ditayangkan 13 Ogos 2015 ini..
– Courtesy of KeMBaLI, Jul 2, 2015
Sinopsis filem NOTA lakonan Hans Isaac & Maya Karin
42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd telah memulakan operasi mereka pada Oktober 2010 diterajui oleh Yasu Tanaka dan Bea Tanaka. Mereka berdua sangat komited dalam membaik pulih kualiti perfileman industri Malaysia. Mereka mahu berkongsi pengalaman menerusi syarikat mereka. Mereka menyedari bahawa industri perfileman negara sebenarnya mempunyai potensi untuk memasarkan produk kita ke peringkat antarabangsa. Hasil kerja mereka “Lari, Sayang Lari” (2011), telemovie dan siri 2014 serta paling terkini adalah “Nota” (2015).
Yasu Tanaka di lahirkan di Tokyo, Jepun, dan mempunyai pengalaman lebih 20 tahun di Hollywood. Dia memegang Ijazah Sarjana Muda Filem dari California State University yang terletak di Northridge dan Columbia College. Dia mempunyai pengalaman sebagai penulis skrip dan penganalisa skrip di ‘Hollywood’ dan Jepun. Dia mula mengajar kelas lanjutan penulisan skrip di Tokyo dan Los Angeles pada tahun 2006. Pada Februari 2009, Tanaka telah mengendali “Masterkelas on Scriptwriting” di FINAS. Antara tahun 2009 dan 2010, dia telah mengadakan sebanyak 7 Masterclass di Finas. Pada September 2010, beliau telah memberi kuliah mengenai penulisan kepada para pemenang IPCC yang di anjurkan oleh MDEC.
Pada June 2009, Buku Tanaka berjudul “Hollywood Storytelling” telah diterbitkan dan diedar di Jepun oleh AIIKU Publication Japan. Finas telah menerbitkan penulisan buku Tanaka yang berjudul “Scriptwriting : Ultimate StoryTelling pada 2011. Tanaka adalah penasihat & konsultan kepada MARZA Animation Planet Inc. (Kumpulan Syarikat SEGA Sammy) dan telah berusaha mereka bentuk sistem bagi mengeluarkan animasi bermutu tinggi bagi memasarkan di peringkat antarabangsa. Dia juga telah membuat beberapa skrip filem utk WARNER Jepun.
Manakala, Bea mempunyai pengalaman 18 tahun dalam TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) guru pendidikan khas golongan istimewa iaitu bahagian masalah pendengaran. Dia mempunyai Ijazah Sarjana Muda di dalam Pendidikan Khas, graduan lepasan UKM (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). Bea bersara awal demi membantu suaminya, Yasu untuk mengajar di Malaysia.
Pada tahun 2010 sehingga 2012, Bea Tanaka telah menganjurkan SSFFA (Shorts Shorts Film Festival & Asia) sebagai Penerbit dan Pengawai Perhubungan Awam antara Jepun dan FINAS di mana FINAS telah menjadi penaja. Latar belakangnya sebagai seorang guru selama 18 tahun, dia banyak memahami tradisi kebudayaan Malaysia. Ini membuatkan dia menjadi perantara dan penyelaras untuk projek 42nd Pictures yang melibatkan koleborasi kerjasama dari luar negara.
Bea fasih berbahasa Inggeris, Melayu, Cantonese dan Mandarin. Kelebihan ini membolehkan 42nd Pictures untuk menganalisa skrip di dalam Bahasa Melayu. Mereka juga telah terlibat sebagai Penganalisa Skrip dalam projek “Filem Kenegaraan” di bawah FINAS, di mana sinopsis dan skrip tersebut adalah Bahasa Melayu.
Filem 42nd Pictures yang pertama berjudul NOTA. Ia adalah sebuah filem yang mempamerkan keindahan alam semulajadi negeri Sarawak. Di samping lokasi pengambaran yang menarik di Taman Negara Bako, ia juga memperlihatkan gaya kehidupan dan budaya di negeri Sarawak. Lokasi istimewa ini akan mampu menarik minat orang ramai untuk melancong ke negeri Sarawak. Tempoh penggambaran filem ini mengambil masa selama 26 hari, ia bermula pada April sehingga Mei 2013. Di samping itu juga terdapat babak-babak menarik yang di rakam dengan menggunakan helikopter.
Filem Nota mula akan ditayangkan di pawagam pada 13 Ogos 2015 serentak. 42nd Pictures membariskan pelakon handalan tanahair seperti Maya Karin, Hans Issac, arwah Ramli Hassan dan Rin Izumi. Pihak produksi mendedikasikan filem ini khas buat arwah Ramli Hassan sebagai mengenang filem lakonan terakhir beliau. Jangan lupa saksikan filem arahan Yasu Tanaka, genrenya ialah ‘phychological thriller’, misteri dan jenayah.
Sinopsis Filem NOTA
Kamal dan Erin adalah sepasang suami isteri yang telah lama menghadapi masalah rumah tangga kerana gagal untuk mendapatkan zuriat, akibatnya mereka jarang berkomunikasi. Ketika ulangtahun perkahwinan yang ke-10, mereka memilih untuk bercuti ke Taman Negara Bako di mana Kamal telah melamar Erin, 10 tahun yang lalu.
Ketika perjalanan mereka ke Bako, Erin tak sengaja terjumpa nota yang ditulis Kamal yang membayangkan dia akan mengakhiri semuanya di puncak tebing. Erin berasa sangat bersalah dengan situasi berkenaan. Selepas itu Erin mendapat tahu bahawa Kamal mempunyai hubungan sulit dengan wanita lain dan sekarang ini telah mengandung anak Kamal.
Dalam keadaan sedih dan tertekan, antara cinta dan benci, Erin merancang satu pembunuhan dengan menggunakan nota itu menjadi bukti yang kuat untuk dirinya. Rancangannya tergendala dengan kehadiran Jemat, seorang pembawa bot yang membawa mereka ke kawasan Taman Negara Bako.
NAMA WATAK & PELAKON FILEM NOTA:
1) ERIN – MAYA KARIN
2) KAMAL – HANS ISAAC
3) JEMAT – RAMLI HASSAN
4) MAYUMI – RIN IZUMI
SENARAI NAMA KREW PRODUKSI:
PRODUCER – BEA TANAKA / TAN CHOOI BEA
DIRECTOR/ SCRIPTWRITER – YASU TANAKA
PRODUCTION MANAGER/ LINE PRODUCER – AZIZAN BINTI ABDUL AZIZ/ IZANN AZIZ
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR – MOHD HANAFIIAH BIN ABDULLAH/ UNCLE PETE
PRODUCTION MANAGER (SARAWAK) – MOHD GHAZALI BIN JEMAN/ JALOT JEMAN
ART DIRECTOR / PROPMASTER – ZUHDI NUSUKI BIN JUSOH / ZUHDI NUSUKI
PROPMASTER – MOHD FAZRUL IZWAN BIN ZAINAL AZEMAN / MOHD FAZRUL IZWAN
ASSISTANT PROP (SARAWAK) – ASSISTANT PROP (SARAWAK)
ASSISTANT PROP (SARAWAK) – MEZAM BIN MALIAN
WARDROBE – MOHD SHARUM BIN KAMARUDDIN / SHARUM KAMA
ASSISTANT WARDROBE – HAIROLAKBAR BIN MOHD SALIMAN / AYU JENTAYU
MAKE UP – SITI ZAHERA BINTI AZHAR
ASSISTANT MAKE UP – NORAZLITA BINTI HASIM
SOUND RECORDING – CHRISTOPHER HIGGS
ASSISTANTT SOUND – IRWANDI AHMAD BIN IBRAHIM / IRWANDI AHMAD IBRAHIM
SCRIPT SUPERVISOR – MOHD HASHIM BIN SAKIRI / HASHIM SAKIRI
PRODUCTION ASST – WAN NORAZIELAH BINTI WAN HASHIM / IENA HASHIM
LOCAL COORDINATOR (SARAWAK) – NAZARUDIN BIN NAZERI
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – MAXIMILIAN SCHMIGE
ASSISTANT CAMERAMAN – AZLAN SUHAIMI BIN IBRAHIM / AL-MIMY
ASSISTANT CAMERA 2 – MUHAMMED SETH NABILL BIN MOHD HANAFIAH / SETH NABILL
KEY GRIP – HAMDAN BIN BACHIK / ARMDONE
BEST BOY GRIP – MOHAMMAD YAZID BIN BUJAI / YAZID
RUNNER (KL) – MUHAMMAD MUSTAQIM BIN AHMAD FADZI / BARD
RUNNER (SARAWAK) – ZULFITRI BIN SUHAILI AWENG AWENG S4 RUNNER
GAFFER / CHIEF LIGHTING TECHNICIAN – MEGAT ROSLAN BIN SIDIN / ANUAR KING
BEST BOY ELECTRIC – KHAIRUL ANUAR MAULA JOHARI / AN
LIGHTING CREW – WAN SYOUKRY BIN WAN HOSSEN.
– Courtesy of Budiey from Sensasi Selebriti, Jul 1, 2015
Nota taruhan 42nd Pictures
NAMA syarikat penerbitan 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd, sememangnya agak asing bagi industri perfileman di Malaysia. Apatah lagi, pemilik syarikat produksi ini merupakan warganegara Jepun, namun telah lama bertapak di Malaysia. Biarpun mempunyai tapak yang kukuh di negara matahari terbit itu, tetapi penerbit dan pasangannya yang juga pengarah dari negara sama punyai hasrat untuk membaik pulih kualiti filem Malaysia.
Justeru buat pertama kalinya, penerbit syarikat berkenaan, Bea Tanaka dan suaminya Yasu Tanaka sebagai pengarah mempertaruhkan filem pertama mereka yang berjudul NOTA untuk tontonan penonton negara ini. NOTA merupakan filem bergenre ‘phychological thriller’ yang merangkumi misteri dan jenayah berdurasi satu jam, 35 minit. Biarpun genre begini kurang menjadi pilihan penonton, namun Bea bersama suaminya, yakin filem ini akan diterima penonton apabila menemui penonton pada 13 Ogos depan.
“Filem ini merupakan genre baru yang juga kurang diminati penonton negara ini. Ia hasil pemerhatian dan kajian yang kami lakukan selama ini. Tetapi saya rasa kita perlu mencabar diri kerana filem ini menjadikan penonton berfikir tentang penceritaan dalam filem ini nanti. Harap penonton Malaysia sudah bersedia,” katanya kepada Zass baru-baru ini.
Bea yang fasih berbahasa Melayu apabila 18 tahun belajar dan berkecimpung dalam industri seni memberitahu, yang dirinya tidak takut sekiranya sambutan tidak menggalakkan kerana genre yang tidak digemari.
“Sebagai ‘producer’ saya perlu realistik. Apa yang kami boleh buat, buat terbaik dan terpulang penonton untuk menilainya,” katanya.
Filem ini adalah sebuah filem yang mempamerkan keindahan alam semula jadi negeri Sarawak. Di samping lokasi penggambaran yang menarik di Taman Negara Bako. Tempoh penggambaran filem ini mengambil masa selama 26 hari dilakukan pada April sehingga Mei 2013. Di samping itu juga terdapat babak-babak menarik yang di rakam dengan menggunakan helikopter.
Filem NOTA juga mengisahkan Kamal dan Erin adalah sepasang suami isteri yang telah lama menghadapi masalah rumah tangga kerana gagal untuk mendapatkan zuriat, akibatnya mereka jarang berkomunikasi. Ketika ulang tahun perkahwinan yang ke-10, mereka memilih untuk bercuti ke Taman Negara Bako di mana Kamal telah melamar Erin, 10 tahun yang lalu.
Ketika perjalanan mereka ke Bako, Erin tak sengaja terjumpa nota yang ditulis Kamal yang membayangkan dia akan mengakhiri semuanya di puncak tebing. Erin berasa sangat bersalah dengan situasi berkenaan. Selepas itu Erin mendapat tahu bahawa Kamal mempunyai hubungan sulit dengan wanita lain dan sekarang ini telah mengandung anak Kamal.
Dalam keadaan sedih dan tertekan, antara cinta dan benci, Erin merancang satu pembunuhan dengan menggunakan nota itu menjadi bukti yang kuat untuk dirinya. Rancangannya tergendala dengan kehadiran Jemat, seorang pembawa bot yang membawa mereka ke kawasan Taman Negara Bako.
Taman Negara Bako menjadi pilihan
Berkongsi pula mengenai pemilihan lokasi penggambaran, Bea berkata, hanya ada tiga lokasi menjadi pilihan filem ini iaitu di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, Kucing dan Taman Negara Bako di Sarawak.
“Sebab kami pilih lokasi Taman Negara Bako pula apabila saya dan suami pernah ke taman itu untuk tujuan bercuti suatu masa dahulu. Suami yang ketika itu seorang pengarah dan penulis merasakan pemandangan lokasi itu amat cantik dan sesuai untuk menjalankan pengarahan filem di situ,” katanya. Selain itu, pengalaman ketika menaiki bot untuk ke Taman Negara Bako juga salah satu perkara menarik yang membuatkan pasangan ini mahu menjadikan lokasi tersebut sebagai latar filem NOTA.
“Untuk ke Bako, hanya satu sahaja cara nak ke sana iaitu dengan menaiki bot. Oleh itu ketika kami sedang melalui sungai untuk ke taman itu, ada ketikanya air surut dan kami terdampar di tengah sungai dan daripada situ, kami jadikan salah satu babak dalam filem ini. Itu yang buatkan filem ini menarik kerana kebanyakan babak yang kami lakukan, adalah kejadian sebenar berlaku di taman Bako dan dengan adegan seperti itu ia memerlukan suasana sedemikian,” katanya yang juga mendedahkan filem itu memakan kos RM1.8 juta.
Selektif pemilihan pelakon
Filem NOTA ini juga membariskan pelakon handalan tanah air seperti Maya Karin, Hans Issac, arwah Ramli Hassan dan Rin Izumi.
Menurut Bea, pihak produksi juga mendedikasikan filem ini khas buat arwah Ramli Hassan sebagai mengenang filem lakonan terakhir beliau.
“Kami juga memilih Maya Karin sebagai watak utama kerana, dia merupakan pelakon berpengalaman dan fasih berbahasa Inggeris yang dilihat berpotensi juga untuk ke luar negara. Hans pula dilihat sesuai dengan watak Kamal dalam filem ini sebagai doktor yang bekerja di Kuala Lumpur serta fasih berbahasa Inggeris,” katanya.
Mengulas mengenai pemilihan pelakon yang fasih berbahasa Inggeris, Bea berkata, ia kerana memudahkan komunikasi antara pengarah dan sasaran filem ini untuk mencuba di pasaran antarabangsa.
“Kita buat filem ini bukan sasarkan Malaysia sahaja, tetapi cuba pasaran antarabangsa. Justeru pemilihan pelakon itu penting. Skrip juga tidak banyak berubah dengan yang telah disediakan kepada pelakon dan sebelum penggambaran, saya, suami dan pelakon beberapa kali melakukan perbincangan mengenai watak dan adegan masing-masing untuk mencapai hasrat pengarah,” katanya.
Mengulas pula mengenai kerjasama diberikan pelakon tanah air dengan penerbit dan juga pengarah dari Jepun itu, Bea memberitahu, dia sangat berpuas hati dan gembira apabila komitmen dan segala yang dirancang berjalan dengan lancar.
“Kelebihan pelakon Malaysia, kebanyakan fasih berbahasa Inggeris justeru memudahkan komunikasi dengan pihak luar negara terutama dengan suami saya yang hanya memahami bahasa Inggeris dan bahasa Jepun. Selain itu, kami melihat Maya Karin sebenarnya boleh pergi lagi jauh sekiranya bakat dia terus digilap,” katanya.
Penerbit ini juga sangat berharap agar filem ini mendapat sambutan dari penonton di Malaysia dan juga akan tayangkan di wayang luar negara.
– Courtesy of Noor Ainulyakin Mohamad Ishak from Sinar Harian, Jun 20, 2015
Filem NOTA gandingkan Maya Karin dengan Hans Isaac
Filem NOTA merupakan filem pertama terbitan 42nd Pictures. Filem ini dibintangi oleh Maya Karin dan Hans Isaac Ia adalah sebuah filem yang mempamerkan keindahan alam semulajadi negeri Sarawak. Di samping lokasi pengambaran yang menarik di Taman Negara Bako, ia juga memperlihatkan gaya kehidupan dan budaya di negeri Sarawak. Lokasi istimewa ini akan mampu menarik minat orang ramai untuk melancong ke negeri Sarawak.
Tempoh penggambaran filem ini mengambil masa selama 26 hari bermula dari April sehingga Mei 2013. Di samping itu juga terdapat babak-babak menarik yang di rakam dengan menggunakan helikopter.
Filem NOTA mengisahkan Kamal dan Erin adalah sepasang suami isteri yang telah lama menghadapi masalah rumah tangga kerana gagal untuk mendapatkan zuriat, akibatnya mereka jarang berkomunikasi. Ketika ulangtahun perkahwinan yang ke-10, mereka memilih untuk bercuti ke Taman Negara Bako di mana Kamal telah melamar Erin, 10 tahun yang lalu.
Ketika perjalanan mereka ke Bako, Erin tak sengaja terjumpa nota yang ditulis Kamal yang membayangkan dia akan mengakhiri semuanya di puncak tebing. Erin berasa sangat bersalah dengan situasi berkenaan. Selepas itu Erin mendapat tahu bahawa Kamal mempunyai hubungan sulit dengan wanita lain dan sekarang ini telah mengandung anak Kamal.
Dalam keadaan sedih dan tertekan, antara cinta dan benci, Erin merancang satu pembunuhan dengan menggunakan nota itu menjadi bukti yang kuat untuk dirinya. Rancangannya tergendala dengan kehadiran Jemat, seorang pembawa bot yang membawa mereka ke kawasan Taman Negara Bako.
Filem NOTA bakal ditayangkan di pawagam pada 13 Ogos 2015 ini. Ia membariskan pelakon handalan tanahair seperti Maya Karin, Hans Isaac, arwah Ramli Hassan dan Rin Izumi. Pihak produksi mendedikasikan filem ini khas buat arwah Ramli Hassan sebagai mengenang filem lakonan terakhir beliau. Jangan lupa saksikan filem arahan Yasu Tanaka, genrenya ialah ‘phychological thriller’, misteri dan jenayah.
– Courtesy of SelebritiOnline, Jun 19, 2015
Di sebalik pembikinan filem “Nota”
42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd telah memulakan operasi mereka pada Oktober 2010 diterajui oleh Yasu Tanaka dan Bea Tanaka. Mereka berdua sangat komited dalam membaik pulih kualiti perfileman industri Malaysia. Mereka mahu berkongsi pengalaman menerusi syarikat mereka. Mereka menyedari bahawa industri perfileman negara sebenarnya mempunyai potensi untuk memasarkan produk kita ke peringkat antarabangsa. Hasil kerja mereka “LARI, SAYANG, LARI” (2011), telemovie dan siri 2014 serta paling terkini adalah “NOTA” (2015).
Yasu Tanaka di lahirkan di Tokyo, Jepun, dan mempunyai pengalaman lebih 20 tahun di Hollywood. Dia memegang Ijazah Sarjana Muda Filem dari California State University yang terletak di Northridge dan Columbia College. Dia mempunyai pengalaman sebagai penulis skrip dan penganalisa skrip di ‘Hollywood’ dan Jepun. Dia mula mengajar kelas lanjutan penulisan skrip di Tokyo dan Los Angeles pada tahun 2006. Pada Februari 2009, Tanaka telah mengendali “Masterkelas on Scriptwriting” di FINAS. Antara tahun 2009 dan 2010, dia telah mengadakan sebanyak 7 Masterclass di Finas. Pada September 2010, beliau telah memberi kuliah mengenai penulisan kepada para pemenang IPCC yang di anjurkan oleh MDEC.
Pada June 2009, Buku Tanaka berjudul “Hollywood Storytelling” telah diterbitkan dan diedar di Jepun oleh AIIKU Publication Japan. Finas telah menerbitkan penulisan buku Tanaka yang berjudul “Scriptwriting : Ultimate StoryTelling pada 2011. Tanaka adalah penasihat & konsultan kepada MARZA Animation Planet Inc. (Kumpulan Syarikat SEGA Sammy) dan telah berusaha mereka bentuk sistem bagi mengeluarkan animasi bermutu tinggi bagi memasarkan di peringkat antarabangsa. Dia juga telah membuat beberapa skrip filem utk WARNER Jepun.
Manakala, Bea mempunyai pengalaman 18 tahun dalam TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) guru pendidikan khas golongan istimewa iaitu bahagian masalah pendengaran. Dia mempunyai Ijazah Sarjana Muda di dalam Pendidikan Khas, graduan lepasan UKM (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). Bea bersara awal demi membantu suaminya, Yasu untuk mengajar di Malaysia.
Pada tahun 2010 sehingga 2012, Bea Tanaka telah menganjurkan SSFFA (Shorts Shorts Film Festival & Asia) sebagai Penerbit dan Pengawai Perhubungan Awam antara Jepun dan FINAS di mana FINAS telah menjadi penaja. Latar belakangnya sebagai seorang guru selama 18 tahun, dia banyak memahami tradisi kebudayaan Malaysia. Ini membuatkan dia menjadi perantara dan penyelaras untuk projek 42nd Pictures yang melibatkan koleborasi kerjasama dari luar negara.
Bea fasih berbahasa Inggeris, Melayu, Cantonese dan Mandarin. Kelebihan ini membolehkan 42nd Pictures untuk menganalisa skrip di dalam Bahasa Melayu. Mereka juga telah terlibat sebagai Penganalisa Skrip dalam projek “Filem Kenegaraan” di bawah FINAS, di mana sinopsis dan skrip tersebut adalah Bahasa Melayu.
Filem 42nd Pictures yang pertama berjudul NOTA. Ia adalah sebuah filem yang mempamerkan keindahan alam semulajadi negeri Sarawak. Di samping lokasi pengambaran yang menarik di Taman Negara Bako, ia juga memperlihatkan gaya kehidupan dan budaya di negeri Sarawak. Lokasi istimewa ini akan mampu menarik minat orang ramai untuk melancong ke negeri Sarawak. Tempoh penggambaran filem ini mengambil masa selama 26 hari, ia bermula pada April sehingga Mei 2013. Di samping itu juga terdapat babak-babak menarik yang di rakam dengan menggunakan helikopter.
Filem Nota mula akan ditayangkan di pawagam pada 13 Ogos 2015 serentak. 42nd Pictures membariskan pelakon handalan tanahair seperti Maya Karin, Hans Issac, arwah Ramli Hassan dan Rin Izumi. Pihak produksi mendedikasikan filem ini khas buat arwah Ramli Hassan sebagai mengenang filem lakonan terakhir beliau. Jangan lupa saksikan filem arahan Yasu Tanaka, genrenya ialah ‘phychological thriller’, misteri dan jenayah.
Sinopsis Filem NOTA
Kamal dan Erin adalah sepasang suami isteri yang telah lama menghadapi masalah rumah tangga kerana gagal untuk mendapatkan zuriat, akibatnya mereka jarang berkomunikasi. Ketika ulangtahun perkahwinan yang ke-10, mereka memilih untuk bercuti ke Taman Negara Bako di mana Kamal telah melamar Erin, 10 tahun yang lalu.
Ketika perjalanan mereka ke Bako, Erin tak sengaja terjumpa nota yang ditulis Kamal yang membayangkan dia akan mengakhiri semuanya di puncak tebing. Erin berasa sangat bersalah dengan situasi berkenaan. Selepas itu Erin mendapat tahu bahawa Kamal mempunyai hubungan sulit dengan wanita lain dan sekarang ini telah mengandung anak Kamal.
Dalam keadaan sedih dan tertekan, antara cinta dan benci, Erin merancang satu pembunuhan dengan menggunakan nota itu menjadi bukti yang kuat untuk dirinya. Rancangannya tergendala dengan kehadiran Jemat, seorang pembawa bot yang membawa mereka ke kawasan Taman Negara Baku…
NAMA WATAK & PELAKON FILEM NOTA:
- ERIN – MAYA KARIN
- KAMAL – HANS ISAAC
- JEMAT – RAMLI HASSAN
- MAYUMI – RIN IZUMI
– Courtesy of Galaksi Media Online, Jun 17, 2015
Mampukah Nota menjadi fenomena?
NOTA merupakan filem terbitan 42nd Pictures dan filem ini bakal menemui penonton pada 13 Ogos nanti.
Menggunakan pendekatan genre psikologi dan suspen, filem ini sebenarnya telah menjalani pengambaran selama 26 hari, bermula pada April sehingga Mei pada tahun 2013.
Bagaimanapun NOTA seakan sebuah ‘projek rahsia’ apabila Maya Karin, Hans Isaac atau mana-mana pihak produksi tidak pernah menghebahkan tentang filem ini.
NOTA mengisahkan tentang sepasang suami isteri, Kamal (lakonan Hans Isac) dan Erin (Maya Karin) yang menghadapi masalah rumah tangga kerana gagal mendapatkan zuriat.
Ketika ulangtahun perkahwinan yang kesepuluh, mereka memilih untuk bercuti ke Taman Negara Bako dan dalam perjalanan itu Erin menjumpai nota yang ditulis Kamal.
Nota itu membayangkan Kamal seolah-olah mahu mengakhiri segalanya di sana.
Menggunakan nota itu Erin merancang untuk membunuh suaminya menggunakan nota sebagai bukti.
Namun rancangan itu terganggu setelah kehadiran Jemat (Ramli Hasan) yang merupakan seorang
pembawa bot.
Menarik mengenai filem ini, naskah skripnya ditulis Yasu Tanaka dan dia sendiri bertanggungjawab mengarahnya.
Sedikit latar belakang mengenai Tanaka, dia berasal dari Tokyo dan mempunyai 20 tahun pengalaman
di Hollywood setelah menamatkan Ijazah Sarjana Muda dari Californa State University.
Tanaka bagaimanapun bergerak di Malaysia bersama isterinya Bea Tanaka yang merupakan graduan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) dalam jurusan Ijazah Sarjana Muda di dalam Pendidikan Khas.
Pada tahun 2010 hingga 2012 pula, Bea bertanggungjawab menganjurkan Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFFA), yang mana festival ini telah menjadi jambatan dua hala bagi Jepun dan Finas dalam meneroka prospek bakat baru industri perfileman.
Pada tahun 2011, produksi 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd pernah menerbitkan telefilem LARI, SAYANG LARI lakonan Alif Satar dan Erin Malek.
Berdasarkan kriteria pengalaman dan lokasi yang menarik mampukah NOTA menjadi fenomena baru bagi penerbit, pengarah, pelakon serta penonton tempatan?
Sama-sama kita nantikan NOTA di pawagam dan semoga filem ini mampu menjadi perangsang kepada landskap filem tempatan yang semakin lesu.
– Courtesy of Kamarul Anuar Mohamed Nasir from MalaysiaGazette, Jun 14, 2015
Filem Nota arahan pegarah Jepun
Filem yang mungkin meletup iaitu Nota menampilkan Hans Isaac dan Maya Karin sebagai pasangan suami isteri. Semestinya peminat kedua pelakon ini menantikan gandingan mereka. Nampak secocok sahaja kan? Filem Nota akan berada di pawagam pada 13 Ogos ini adalah arahan Yasu Tanaka. Siapa Yasu Tanaka?
Yasu Tanaka di lahirkan di Tokyo, Jepun, dan mempunyai pengalaman lebih 20 tahun di Hollywood. Dia memegang Ijazah Sarjana Muda Filem dari California State University yang terletak di Northridge dan Columbia College. Dia mempunyai pengalaman sebagai penulis skrip dan penganalisa skrip di ‘Hollywood’ dan Jepun. Tanaka juga penasihat & konsultan kepada MARZA Animation Planet Inc. (Kumpulan Syarikat SEGA Sammy) dan telah berusaha mereka bentuk sistem bagi mengeluarkan animasi bermutu tinggi bagi memasarkan di peringkat antarabangsa.
Mesti menarik filem Nota kerana bukan sahaja genrenya ialah ‘phychological thriller’, misteri dan jenayah tetapi pengarah dari negara matahari terbit. Pastinya ada sesuatu yang lain daripada yang lain. Jangan lupa saksikan nanti ya. Sedikit sinopsis untuk anda semua
Kamal dan Erin adalah sepasang suami isteri yang telah lama menghadapi masalah rumah tangga kerana gagal untuk mendapatkan zuriat, akibatnya mereka jarang berkomunikasi.
Ketika ulangtahun perkahwinan yang ke-10, mereka memilih untuk bercuti ke Taman Negara Bako di mana Kamal telah melamar Erin, 10 tahun yang lalu. Ketika perjalanan mereka ke Bako, Erin tak sengaja terjumpa nota yang ditulis Kamal yang membayangkan dia akan mengakhiri semuanya di puncak tebing. Erin berasa sangat bersalah dengan situasi berkenaan. Selepas itu Erin mendapat tahu bahawa Kamal mempunyai hubungan sulit dengan wanita lain dan sekarang ini telah mengandung anak Kamal.
Dalam keadaan sedih dan tertekan, antara cinta dan benci, Erin merancang satu pembunuhan dengan menggunakan nota itu menjadi bukti yang kuat untuk dirinya. Rancangannya tergendala dengan kehadiran Jemat, seorang pembawa bot yang membawa mereka ke kawasan Taman Negara Baku.
– Courtesy of Ina Mohd. from SinarFM, June, 2015
Maya gets physical in Nota (watch the trailer)
“No luxuries whatsoever, no TV, air conditioning or hot water and we had to watch out for wild boars in the jungle,” said the 35-year-old beauty of German and Malaysian parentage about the filming experience. Filming took a month to complete which included outdoor scenes at Bako National Park in Sarawak. In the film trailer, she is also seen struggling in a muddy fight scene, which she said took “a whole day” to shoot. “It was intense and I still had mud in my ears several days after,” said Maya, who plays Erin in the movie, set to meet audiences nationwide on Aug 13. The film follows Erin and her estranged husband Kamal (played by Hans Isaac) who have been trying to start a family for the last 10 years without any success. They decide to make a trip back to Bako National Park where they visited a decade ago to jumpstart their flagging relationship. But everything takes a progressive turn for the worst when Erin accidentally discovers a note written by Kamal along the way.
“My character appears as an innocent soul in the beginning but as things unfold along the way in this murder mystery, the viewer will see that she’s capable of doing things that no one would’ve expected her to do,” said Maya, who added that she always takes on roles that are challenging and meaty. She explained that an interesting aspect of the film was its lack of dialogue. “From what I’ve seen so far – although I haven’t seen the final cut – 70 percent of it is without dialogue. It relies a lot on the cinematography and composition of the shots, as well as the physicality of the acting,” she said of the atmospheric 94-min feature film, which contains dialogue in both English and Bahasa Malaysia. She added that not being a native Malay speaker meant that she had spent many years throughout her long career to learn the language. “That process sort of helped me with this film because most people fluent in the language could express themselves better verbally and could pick alternate words to convey things.
“I had to rely on my physicality and expressions to communicate those same messages,” said the talented actress, who also dabbles in dramatic and musical theatre and is a recording artiste with three studio albums to her name. Another facet of the film that peaked Maya’s interest initially was the international crew for the film, produced by 42nd Pictures. Nota is directed and co-written by Japanese filmmaker Yasu Tanaka and it features the work of German cinematographer Maximilian Schmige. “Yasu has a unique working style. He doesn’t speak much English and I don’t speak Japanese but we communicated well by feeling things through the gut,” she said.
A fan of European films, she added that the film has a distinctive look. “Viewers will definitely see that apparent style when they watch the film,” she said excitedly of the film which also stars the late Ramli Hassan as the boatman Jemat. On sharing the big screen for the first time with dashing local actor Hans, Maya was glad to be able to work with her long-time friend. “It was by chance that we finally ended up working together. We were together most of the time on set and at the hotel, since Ramli had his own place in Sarawak. It was great to have a good friend around,” she said. She added: “Chemistry between the two of us wasn’t a problem because we played an estranged couple so and I had to be cold anyway.”
– Courtesy of Aref Omar from New Straits Times Online, May 27, 2015
Making note of Malaysian releases at Cannes
We managed to catch Striped Entertainment‘s Nota during our second day at the Festival de Cannes. It was selected by the Malaysian representatives to be part of the Marché du Film line-up this year, along with Villa Nabila (to be screened on the 18th of May).
It’s worth nothing that the Marché du Film (which literally translates as ‘film market’) is one of the biggest film markets in the world and thus one of the best places to find international buyers for your film.
Rahmat Adam of CCAM had requested that upcoming Malaysian release, Nota (marketed here asThe Note), be screened in a proper cinema, which is how The Daily Seni ended up at the Gray 2 at the Gray D’Albion. This swanky complex hosts market screenings outside the Palais.
Nota tells the story of a couple living in Kuala Lumpur who take a trip to Bako National Park in Sarawak to rekindle their marriage. Erin (Maya Karin) and Kamal (Hans Isaac) encounter difficulties and are helped along their way by Jemat (Ramli Hassan). Things however take a dark turn after Erin discovers a few disturbing facts about her husband and their relationship.
Helmed by Japanese director Yasu Tanaka, Nota is a visual treat. The movie opens with quite a bang; kicking things off is a sequence of quick, gorgeous cuts featuring Erin and Kamal’s Kuala Lumpur life which climaxes with Erin releasing a butterfly into the air.
The movie was mostly shot in Bako National Park in Sarawak and as a result possesses some very beautiful shots of nature. This aspect of the film is done rather tastefully; it steers clear from trying to look like a Tourism Sarawak promo.
On top of this is Yasu Tanaka’s quirky and very fascinating visual style – in one scene, Erin pokes her finger through the side of an aquarium as if its glass were a membrane. Among other thought-provoking visuals on display is a close-up of rice being boiled which looks much more arresting than it sounds.
Nota will perhaps be remembered as containing Ramli Hassan’s final appearance on film. His character, the mysterious boatman Jemat, steals every scene. There’s a childish eagerness and a twist of insanity to his portrayal that brings Nota to life and propels things forward.
Despite showcasing questionable acting from newcomer Rin Izumi as well as some bizarre writing choices, Nota was an enjoyable watch that leaves a strong impression because of its visual aspect. We cannot reiterate enough how pretty it all looks. Nota has all the aesthetics of an arthouse film but a story that we hope sells well to the Malaysian public when it opens on the 13th of August in Malaysia.
– Courtesy of Deric Ect from The Daily Seni, May 15, 2015
“Nota”, starring Maya Karin was shown in Cannes
KUALA LUMPUR: Filem tempatan arahan pengarah Jepun Yasu Tanaka, “Nota” ditayangkan di Festival Filem Cannes yang sedang berlangsung di sana.
Filem itu dibintangi Maya Karin, Hans Isaac dan merupakan filem terakhir yang dibintangi pelakon Ramli Hassan yang meninggal dunia baru-baru ini di Sydney.
Selain filem Nota, filem Vila Nabila turut ditayangkan di Marche du Film sempena festival filem tersebut.
Nota mengisahkan sepasang suami isteri yang menetap di Kuala Lumpur, Erin (Maya Karin) dan Kamal (Hans Isaac) telah pergi ke Taman Negara Bako untuk menyelesaikan masalah perhubungan mereka.
Erin dan Kamal berdepan dengan pelbagai masalah dan dibantu oleh Jemat (lakonan Ramli Hassan). Masalah yang dihadapi menjadi semakin kusut apabila Erin beberapa perkara yang tidak menyenangkan mengenai suami dan perhubungannya.
Nota bakal menemui penonton filem di Malaysia mulai 13 Ogos depan.
– Courtesy of Astro Awani, May 15, 2015
Bako National Park was shooting location for latest movie
– Courtesy of See Hua Daily, Apr 11, 2015
SSFFA a platform to learn filmmaking
– Courtesy of New Straits Times, Oct 19, 2014
LUCT organizes Short Shorts Film Festival
– Courtesy of Sin Chew, Oct 19, 2014
Duly noted: Friends Maya Karin and Hans Isaac finally get to act together.
It is funny how Maya Karin and Hans Isaac have never worked in a film together, considering both stars have had spurts of successes in various local movies. Then there is the fact that they have been friends for more than a decade, probably sharing the same circle of friends.
Well, that status has changed with Nota. Directed by Japanese Yasu Tanaka, Nota is a psychological thriller which sees Hans and Maya playing a married couple going through a relationship crisis, seen mostly from the wife’s point of view.
n a recent interview with these two actors at the photo shoot for the May issue of Faces, Hans shared that he was supposed to star with Maya in two previous projects which didn’t materialise. However with Nota, the 43-year-old actor feels it’s the perfect script for their first partnership.
“This script was right for Maya and me, and I knew she could carry the lead role,” he said.
Hans, who is a friend of Tanaka’s, said that he wasn’t involved in the casting process at all; it was Tanaka’s decision to team them up.
Hans shared that he had initially turned down the role when Tanaka first approached him with the script: “I told Yasu to give the role to someone else, because I had my plate full.”
– Courtesy of The Star, May 6, 2014
Sales News
Malaysian production company 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd is promoting its first feature Nota at Busan’s Asian Film Market. The trailer can be viewed at the booth of the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (FINAS) | Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia.
The RM1.85 million (US$579,000) psychological thriller, now completed, is fully financed by the Malaysian government through the Creative Industry Development Grant set up by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) | Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia in 2010.
In the film a childless couple revisit Bako to rekindle their marriage. The wife discovers that her husband has drafted a suicide note, planning to kill himself on the cliff where he proposed ten years before. When she learns that he has a pregnant mistress, she begins to plan the perfect murder with his suicide note as her alibi.
Most of the film was shot in Bako, the picturesque national park near Kuching in the state of Sarawak that is most famous for its peculiar rock formations. “Bako has open scenery and yet it is isolated at the same time. The only way to get there is by boat but you will be stuck if the tide is low,” said producer Bea TANAKA.
Nota marks the feature debut of director Yasu TANAKA 田中靖彦 who was born in Japan and lived in the US for 20 years before relocating to Malaysia in 2010. He is also the film’s scriptwriter and runs 42nd Pictures with his wife Bea. The film stars Maya KARIN and Hans ISAAC.
The company has previously produced thriller Love on the Run Lari, sayang, lari (2011), a television movie for Astro Prima starring Alif SATAR and Erin MALEK. It is being expanded into a six-part mini-series. The husband and wife team also teaches masterclasses on scriptwriting and visual storytelling at FINAS.
– Courtesy of Film Business Asia, Oct 9, 2013
Maya Karin tercabar dengan Nota
Selepas meraih gelaran Aktres Terbaik menerusi filem ‘Ombak Rindu’, pelakon terkenal, Maya Karin kini bakal muncul dengan filem terbaru berjudul, ‘Nota’. Ingin membuktikan dirinya seorang pelakon versatil dan enggan dikenali dengan watak stereotaip, Maya bakal tampil dengan sisi yang berbeza dalam filem misteri arahan pengarah dari Jepun, Yasu Tanaka.
“Filem ‘Nota’ merupakan filem yang memaparkan drama emosi antara suami dan isteri. Dialog dalam filem ini amat sikit kerana ia banyak bermain dengan reaksi serta ekspresi muka. Pelakon dalam ‘Nota’ juga sangat kecil di mana ia melibatkan tiga orang sahaja iaitu saya, Hans Isaac dan Ramli Hassan (Red Kebaya). Saya teruja kerana ini kali pertama saya berlakon bersama Hans selepas 15 tahun mengenalinya.
Filem ini juga penuh dengan kesenian dan saya anggap ‘Nota’ sebagai sebuah filem seni untuk anugerah bertaraf antarabangsa seperti di Cannes. InsyaAllah, selain Malaysia, filem ‘Nota’ juga akan dibawa ke pasaran Jepun,” ujar Maya ketika ditemui baru-baru ini.
Filem ‘Nota’ mengambil masa selama sebulan penggambaran di Taman Negara Bako, Kuching Sarawak. Baru saja selesai penggambaran filem tersebut seminggu lalu, Maya memberitahu filem ini sangat mencabar, bukan sahaja dari segi lakonan malah dalam bentuk fizikal.
“Saya seorang yang lasak dan itu merupakan salah satu sebab saya bersetuju untuk terlibat dalam filem ini. Namun, tidak dinafikan, penggambaran filem ini amat susah dan memenatkan. Kami terpaksa bergelut dalam sungai dan lumpur.
Selain itu, kami juga terpaksa mengharungi kepanasan yang melampau sehingga nak fokus dalam lakonan pun susah. Peluh yang banyak dan kepala berdenyut menyukarkan perjalanan watak namun saya cuba juga memberikan yang terbaik untuk filem ini,” ujar Maya
– Courtesy of Tonton Extra, May 27, 2013
KUCHING: A Kuala Lumpur-based production company 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd will be shooting its first feature-length film in Bako National Park here.
Its director Japan-born Yasu Tanaka told the media at a press conference yesterday that the natural environment of Bako National Park, which he visited in 2007, had given him the inspiration to work on this major project.
“We chose Sarawak because we see huge potential for filmmaking here. Sarawak offers a unique and atmospheric location for filming which cannot be found in Japan or elsewhere. I was amazed and inspired during my visit here in 2007,” he said.
Pre-production preparation began a year ago and filming is expected to begin some time in April for a duration of one month.
“However, many will find it difficult to shoot outside because it will incur a larger production budget than usual. But we are giving it a go because we want to do something different,” he added.
Although reluctant to reveal the full synopsis of the film, Yasu hinted that it is a psychological thriller which incorporates elements of mystery, suspense and drama.
“It is about a couple facing midlife crisis,” he said, adding that the main cast would feature notable actors and actresses from Malaysia with only one Japanese actress on board.
The highlight of the film, Yasu further said, would be the river scene and as such, the production team has been studying the tide chart closely to pin point shooting schedules.
Also, Yasu sees this project as a head start to establishing a long-term relationship with Sarawak on developing the film industry and pursuing more filming projects here in the future.
Yasu had been residing in Los Angeles for more than 20 years and worked as a scriptwriter and script analyst in Hollywood and Japan.
Yasu’s wife Malaysian-born Bea Tanaka, who is the producer, said they also aimed to introduce the film to international markets when it is ready for release possibly some time in 2014.
“We want to ensure optimum exposure of the film to local and international audiences. Therefore, we have also
considered distributing it in the international market and introducing it in international film festivals,” she said.
When asked about the budget for the filmmaking, Bea did not reveal the actual figure but said they would have to work on a strict budget, a big part of which was under the grant from National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas).
As such, its assistant director Mohd Hanafiah Abdullah said that pre-production preparation was done early, including assessing locations and possible obstacles to come up with other options and action plans.
“One of the biggest concerns was on logistics, considering the crews and equipment we have to bring in while the national park is only accessible by boats,” he explained.
“But we have more or less sorted the issue out,” he said.
Its director of photography, Maxmillan Schiege from the United States, who is here for the first time, was excited about the filming and agreed that pre-production preparation was crucial to minimise risk.
“This is also my first time filming in a jungle. It will involve a range of different things from jungle to river as well as the people and small villages surrounding the park,” he added.
“Film making is different from other kinds of arts. There are definitely different challenges in film making.”
42nd Pictures also contributed to the improvement of Malaysian film industry through all aspects including scriptwriting, directing, production and photography.
Yasu was active in academic activities since 2009 in which he started teaching Masterclass for Scriptwriting at Finas as well as giving lectures and training in related fields for corporate companies, colleges and universities.
That apart, the Tanaka couple have also produced a tele-play called ‘Lari, Sayang, Lari’ for Astro Ria channel which was premiered in October 2011.
The company also offers services for script consultancy and script development.
Also present were Finas’ head of Sarawak Region Mohd Subri Abdul Ghani and Nazrieman Bujang from Sarawak Tourism Board’s Corporate Communications Unit.
– Courtesy of Courtesy of Borneo Post Online, March 15, 2013
Malam ni telemovie Lari Sayang Lari ditayangkan di Astro Prima jam 10 malam, lakonan Alif Satar dan Erin Malik. Alif, 21 tahun, sekarang bukan saja jadi penyanyi tapi sudah mula berjinak jinak dalam bidang lakonan dan pengacaraan. Sebelum ni Alif ada berlakon dalam siri Cuak di Astro Ceria. Telemovie Lari Sayang Lari adalah arahan dari pengarah Jepun bernama Yasu Tanaka.
Tanaka berasal dari Tokyo pernah menetap lebih 20 tahun di Los Angeles dan mempunyai Ijazah Sarjana Muda Filem dari California State University. Dia kini giat menceburkan diri dalam penerbitan drama di negara ini.
Dalam tempoh dua dekad itu, Tanaka juga berpengalaman sebagai penulis skrip dan menjadi juruanalisis skrip di Hollywood dan negaranya sendiri.
Telemovie menjanjikan kualiti yang baik dari skrip dan jalan cerintanya diharapkan dapat memberikan kepuasan kepada penonton. Jika mendapat sambutan telemovie Lari Sayang Lari akan dibuat drama bersiri pulak. Bertuah Alif dan Erin dapat berlakon dengan pengarah yang terkenal di luar negara ini.
– Courtesy of NurizSpace Nov, 2011
Limkokwing Lecturers Eddie Soon and Roberto Calleja pose with Director Yasu Tananka and his wife Producer Bea Tanaka ((left) together with Actor Alif Satar and some of the cast and crew (right) of Lari, Sayang, Lari at the Wings Plaza after receiving a traditional welcome from the University.
In the tele-movie, the female lead shouts Lari Sayang Lari to the male lead during a tense and climatic scene, which dramatically explains how the show got its title.
Thereon it was non-stop action starting with the stunning graphic sequences developed by the young and talented professionals of the Centre for Content Creation (CCC), the award-wining web and multimedia design arm of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.
Lari, Sayang, Lari had its pre-screening debut recently at the University’s Hall of Fame and was attended by the cast and crew led by Director Yasu Tanaka and Producer Bea Tanaka, the husband and wife team from Japan, who also wrote the script for the tele-movie.
Also present was the main male lead Alif Satar and representatives from 42nd Pictures, the movie production house.
The Hall was packed with students from the Faculty of Communication, Media & Broadcasting, their lecturers and other Limkokwing staff.
Essentially, the special screening was an occasion to salute Limkokwing students and CCC staff for their invaluable contributions in the making of the movie.
According to Bea Tanaka, Limkokwing University was chosen as the location for its “positive energy” and the “mix of international students from all over the world” – this was really “something else as we didn’t feel the energy at the other universities we checked out as much as we felt it here.”
Several defining scenes were shot on location in and round the sprawling Limkokwing campus, and also ‘appearing’
– Courtesy of LUCT, Oct 12, 2011
Surina studies at Limkokwing University. This daughter of a rich family is madly in love with Hakimi who is from a modest background. Surina’s parents arranged a convenience marriage with a young man of a wealthy background. During a romantic rendez-vous between the two lovers, the fiancé shows up unexpectedly. The two men engage in a fight and Hakimi faints.
He wakes by a pool, he is blurred, he has a knife in his hand and his rival lies next to him in a pool of blood. At the same time comes the victim’s parents, Hakimi is on the run. The detective Jeffrey and his assistant Rick are hired to track him down.
The Tele-Movie
Here is the story line of “Lari, Sayang, Lari” which means “Run, My Love, Run.” This tele-movie was partly shot at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology’s Cyberjaya campus. This 75 minutes long drama is scheduled to be broadcasted in December 2011 or January 2012 on Astro Ria. The drama is produced by 42nd Pictures for Astro. The production is lead by the Director/Scriptwriter Yasu Tanaka from Japan and his wife, Producer Mrs. Bea Tanaka who is originally from Malaysia.
Limkokwing’s Collaboration
Out of nine days of shooting two were at Limkokwing’s Cyberjaya Campus. 42nd Pictures also requested for the help of the University’s students. They were used as extras in the cast and as support to the crew. The University’s Centre for Creation Content (CCC) provided its technical support and expertise in terms of lighting.
The Cast
The cast for the main roles of this tele-movie is fully Malaysian. The two lovers are played by the young actress Erin Malek and the singer Alif Satar. In the detective’s role we will see Roy Azman, one of the stars of the Malaysian TV series Roda-Roda KL. He will be assisted by the stand-up comedian Douglas Lim who will add his humoristic touch to the drama.From Training to Production
From Training to Production.
Lari, Sayang, Lari is 42nd Pictures first production in Malaysia. This company that was founded in October 2011 has offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur. Since last year, Yasu and Bea Tanaka have been running script writing training sessions at FINAS, National Film Development Corporation Malaysia. They also ran similar training sessions for Astro and this is when they started discussions on the tele-movie project.
Malaysia Inspired
“Yasu saw Malaysia’s potential to support very good stories. The sceneries and the cultural melting pot inspire him a lot” explains Bea. She told us how “Yasu as a foreigner sees the beauty in our sceneries that we Malaysians don’t see.” This is how this film director who is a script specialist decided to venture himself in Malaysian film making.
Sharing Knowledge and Experience
Bea believes that there is a real demand for Malaysian films that need to be satisfied. “Malaysia has the necessary equipments, technologies and human resource available” she explains. “The weak point of the industry lies in script writing and pre-productions” she points out. This is exactly where 42nd Pictures brings its experience and share its knowledge.
Limkokwing Students Integrate Cast and Crew
Twenty three students in Digital Film and Television from Limkokwing University got the opportunity to be part of this shooting. These students from semester two to five were assigned different roles on the project. Fifteen of them were extras mainly playing the role of students on the campus. Marius Siparis (Lithuania), Wan Azfar Wan Mansor (Malaysia), Kimberly Julia Hallam (United Kingdom) and Jenya Lim Sue Chen (Malaysia) were casted as specific with a few lines of dialogue. “I had to give directions to the assistant detective Rick” tells Wan Azfar proudly.
Penny Lee Chiew Ting (Malaysia), Ivander Aditya Tjandra (Indonesia) and Ignas Versinskas (Lithuania) were handpicked by their lecturers to be special assistants to the Director. These three students have been working closely with the Director and the Director of Photography (DoP) Mr. Kazu Hayashi in the pre-production and production stages. “We went around campus with them for location scounting” explains Penny. They were also responsible of the coordination between the production team and the students.
During the production stage, the students were supporting the professional crew. “The students were very eager to help and we really appreciated that” explains the producer. Shaik Nazrin Shah Abdul Rahim (Malaysia) was camera assistant with his colleague Ivander. They were handling the camera lenses as per the DoP requests. “we also shot one scene by ourselves. Mr. Yasu asked us to go shot one specific bus at the Bukhit Jalil Bus Terminal” tells Nazrin from his cloud nine.
Professional Support
The University also offered a professional technical support through one of its business units, Centre for Content Creation (CCC). Its Production Manager Nawawe Suhaimi, provided his expertise with lighting. “Nawawe was of a great help especially in shooting night scenes, we are very thankful to him” said Bea.
Campus Full of Energy
Out of nine days of shooting seven were done in Cyberjaya and among these two days at Limkokwing’s campus. “Limkokwing University is a prominent building in Cyberjaya. We were struck by the energy we felt on that campus and its cosmopolitan crowd of student was ideal for our shooting” explains the Producer. “We really appreciate Tan Sri Limkokwing’s support for us to use the campus for our shooting” she added.
Actress dreams of Limkokwing
The Tanakas were not the only one to be inspired by the campus. Erin Malek, 17 years old, youngest actor of the cast. “Shooting here is fun” she says. In the drama she is a student at Limkokwing University and it seems that this role pleased her. The actress confessed “I want to be a fashion designer later and I would like to study here after my SPM.”
– Courtesy of LUCT, 12 May 2011
Sesiapa yang serius mencari nama dalam kerjaya pembikinan filem tetapi tidak memiliki bajet yang tinggi mungkin sudah berfikir untuk membeli DSLR yang boleh merakam video 1080p (Full HD). Namun, kekurangan DSLR dari segi output video untuk siaran TV (broadcast quality) memang tidak dapat dinafikan. Lambat laun, pembikin filem amatur akan menyedari masalah ini dan cuba mencari kamera lain yang dapat mengatasi kekurangan ini. Dari sudut pandangan lain, pembikin filem amatur yang menggunakan kamera video tradisional pula tidak mempunyai akses kepada pelbagai lensa eksotik; “bokeh” filem yang cantik seperti di dalam filem berbajet tinggi setakat idaman sahaja. Panasonic adalah syarikat Micro FourThirds pertama yang memasukkan sensor FourThirds keluarannya ke dalam kamera video profesional untuk menggabungkan manfaat daripada kedua-dua format. Panasonic AG-AF102EN merupakan kamera video AVCHD mikro 4/3-inci profesional (dengan kebolehan Full HD) yang pertama di dunia! Hasil penglibatan Panasonic dalam pencipataan format kad SD, Panasonic AG-AF102EN memakai kad SD/SDHC/SDXC. Ini bermaksud para amatur dapat menikmati penjimatan kos yang agak besar dari segi kad memori.
Mengikuti Pandangan Pakar
Aperture baru-baru ini berpeluang menemubual Penulis senario / Penganalisis / Pensyarah / Pengarah Filem Encik Yasuhiko Tanaka dan isterinya Bea Tanaka yang menjadi pembantu pensyarah dan produser. Pasangan ini menubuhkan syarikat 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd beberapa tahun lalu dan terlibat dalam penulisan, pengarahan dan penghasilan filem dan projek yang berkaitan dengan filem termasuk animasi. Tanaka-san berasal dari Tokyo, Jepun sementara isterinya Bea Tan adalah warga Malaysia. Sebahagian daripada jadual tahunan mereka termasuk melintasi dunia antara Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo dan Los Angeles, Amerika Syarikat.
Semenjak 2009, Yasu dan Bea berusaha dengan Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia (FINAS) untuk menganjurkan “Masterclass” dalam penulisan dan perundingan skrip. Mereka juga menghasilkan bahan-bahan pendidikan tentang cara penerbitan filem dan penulisan skrip tahap antarabangsa. Buku mereka, “SCRIPTWRITING: ULTIMATE STORYTELLING” yang akan diterbit oleh FINAS bakal dilancarkan pada Jun 2011. Baru-baru ini juga, pasangan ini menghasilkan sebuah drama TV tempatan untuk Astro Ria, “Lari Sayang Lari”. Ia sebuah drama “telemovie” yang penuh aksi dan dramatik, dilakonkan oleh pelakon handalan tempatan berserta krew tempatan. Yasu terlibat dalam penulisan skrip serta pengarahan dan perfileman, sementara Bea terlibat dalam penterjemahan skrip ke Bahasa Melayu dan juga dalam proses produksi. Selain dari krew tempatan, mereka juga membawa pakar yang berpengalaman dari Jepun. Storyboard terperinci tahap Hollywood digunakan oleh mereka supaya para pelakon dapat membayangkan hasil setiap adegan. Lari Sayang Lari merupakan antara drama bertahap antarabangsa yang pertama di negara, meskipun dengan bakat tempatan yang berdedikasi dan yang memainkan peranan masing-masing dengan sempurna.
– Courtesy of APERTURE, May 2011
4 Pembikin Filem Di Simposium SSFFA
3 Oktober 2010 “Simposium : What Are International Films” and “The Meaning of Short Films” telah diadakan di Studio Sound Stage, FINAS, Hulu Kelang. Seramai 4 penceramah jemputan dari 4 buah negara iaitu Seigo Tono (Jepun), Martias Mohd Ali (Malaysia), Alfonso Toree III (Filipina) dan Royston Tan (Singapura) menerangkan serba sedikit mengenai filem dari pandangan dan perspektif masing-masing.
Pengendali simposium ini dikendalikan oleh pasangan suami isteri iaitu Yasu Tanaka dan Bea Tanaka tepat jam 3.30 petang.
Tetamu yang hadir ditayangkan dengan sebuah filem pendek “D.I.Y” hasil karya seni Royston Tan dari Singapura sebagai contoh filem pendek dan tayangan mendapat tepukan dari tetamu. Antara yang hadir ialah penggiat seni perfileman, pelajar-pelajar dari Kolej Yayasan Melaka dan orang awam. Tiada bayaran untuk simposium ini.
– Courtesy of FINAS – Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia, Oct 12, 2010
1 Oktober 2010 “Short Short s Film Festival & Asia 2010 (SSFF) Malayisia” yang diadakan pada setiap tahun dan yang ketiga popular dikalang festival pendek dunia telah diadakan di Kompleks Studio Merdeka, FINAS, Malaysia. Majlis disempurnakan oleh Ketua Pengarah FINAS, Mohd Mahyidin Mustakim dan Seigo Tono iaitu wakil pengerusi SSFF & Asia Japan pada 8 malam.
Sebanyak 14 buah negara menampilkan hasil karya seni masing-masing antaranya Jepun, USA, Australia, Malaysia, Filipina, Argentina dan Norway semuanya merangkumi 26 filem pendek. Antara filem-filem pendek ialah “Boxer”, “Lights”, “Forget-me-not”, “Heal”, “Bonsai”, “Tanha”, “Experiment”, “Eyefinger” dan banyak lagi.
Tayangan filem pendek “True Beauty This Night”, persembahan video dari SSFF (Jepun) dan persembahan kebudayaan dari ASWARA ditayangkan kepada tetamu yang hadir. SSFF berlangsung selama tiga hari bermula 1 hingga 3 Oktober. Antara yang hadir pengarah-pengarah filem seperti U-Wei, pelakon-pelakon tempatan seperti Hasnul Rahmat dan pelajar-pelajar serta penggiat seni perfileman.
SSFF (Malaysia) kali ini diselaraskan Yasu Tanaka dan Bea Tanaka sebagai penerbit dengan kerjasama Bahagian Latihan Perfileman serta kejasama dengan Embassy of Japan dan Japan Foundation. Festival filem seumpama ini sedikit sebanyak memberi peluang kepada karyawan negara dan pelajar perfileman untuk mempelajari ilmu perfileman dengan menonton filem-filem pendek antarabangsa terpilih.
– Courtesy of FINAS – Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia, Oct 1, 2010
