Saturday, December 8, 2012

The Search of Identity Continues....



Our Artist Residential Programme at Bamboo Curtain Studio is coming to an end. Ah Keng will stay on in Zhuwei to carry on with his search....
我們在竹圍工作室的駐村活動將要告个段落了。阿坑會留在竹圍繼續的探索,繼續的思考....

Music courtesy of sonicbrat.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

A Healthy Creek, A Healthy Life



Plum Tree Creek, Zhuwei, Tamsui District, New Taipei City.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Bamboo Curtain Studio Residency Journal WEEK 4

Week 4 | 第四周:

後製作業;成果分享
Final Editing: Sharing Session

1. 補足整個記錄成品的完整性和主題性。
2. 完成後製作業。
3. 成果放映;邀請竹圍的居民們一起觀看;讓“竹圍小戲偶”獻身現場;討論如何尋覓屬於社區的人文身份;分享四週來對竹圍人文精神的感受。
1. To make the final editing of the video.
2. To wrap up the video making.
3. To invite residents of Bamboo Curtain Studio and those in the neighbourhood for a viewing of the video and to carry out a dialogue with viewers after the showcase.

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2 December 2012 | Sunday

It's still raining non-stop today...
雨還繼續的下....


 The rainy day has painted a gloomy picture in our shoot today. 
So we've put in colours of our own.

With continual rain and missing interviewee, we are stuck at the dorm with back-logged editing and shooting. Hmph....


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3 December 2012 | Monday

 Interview with Ah Bin, a resident of Zhuwei who specializes in organic farming.
与有機農業專家,'遊俠阿賓',做採訪。

  



Before the interview, we were shown an inconspicuous tombstone of a Qing Dynasty official which not many residents in Zhuwei are aware of.
在採訪之前,阿賓哥告知我們竹圍的一個沒甚麼人知道的古蹟之一 - 清朝小官的古老墳墓。


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7 December 2012 | Friday

The sun has FINALLY shown itself! Did a video re-shoot of Guan Yin Mountain so as to do give some warmth to the video footages. 80% of the footage is greyish and gloomy as they were shot during rainy and overcast days.
An overcast 1 December 2012.

 A sunny 7 December 2012.

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5 December 2012 | Wednesday

Interview with students from Zhuwei Elementary School, New Taipei City.
新北市竹圍國小的五年級學生做採訪。

 From left: 涂定珉, 吳祖婷 and 龔羽芊

Without the support and assistance from 
Principal Howard Hu (left) and teacher Chen Jian Xing (right),
this interview will not be possible. Thank you.
感謝校長胡峻豪左与陳建興老師,讓我們可以与學生進行訪問。

With this last interview, it is time for final editing and rendering.....

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8 December 2012 | Saturday

"In Search of Identity" screening at Bamboo Curtain Studio
《身分尋旅》影片分享交流會, 竹圍工作室




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9 December 2012 | Sunday

The sharing of our residency programme has come to an end.

We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to:






阿賓哥 | Ah Bin

巧爸陳煉忠 | Chen Lian Zhong

李曉雯 | Catherine Li

貓兒綾綾 | Ling Ling

新臺北市竹圍國小 | Zhuwei Elementary School , New Taipei City
胡峻豪校長 | Howard Hu (principal)
陳建興老師 | Chen Jian Xing (teacher)

涂定珉 | Tu Ding Min
吳祖婷 | Wu Zu Ting
龔羽芊 | Gong Yu Qian


雅加達早餐店 | Ya Jia Da Cafe

竹圍居民 | Residents of Zhuwei

黃澤暉 | sonicbrat
 

新加坡戲劇盒 | Drama Box (Singapore)
藝術總監郭慶亮 | Kok Heng Leun (Artistic Director)

Friday, November 30, 2012

《阿坑探索樹梅坑溪》Ah Keng Exploring Plum Tree Creek




A sneak peek of the research work -《身份尋旅》In Search of Identity - for our Residency Programme at Bamboo Curtain Studio.

Thank you sonicbrat for the beautiful music.

And thanks to Ong Kian Sin for being that pair of hands behind 阿坑.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Bamboo Curtain Studio Residency Journal WEEK 3

Week THREE | 第三周拍摄工作: 确认身份
Video Documentation: Identity and Identification


1. 根据之前拟定好的拍摄行程和内容开始進行街頭訪問等拍攝工作。(在竹围与竹围以外地区取景拍摄)。
2. 同時進行《身份尋旅》影像的取捨、剪接和融彙的後製作業。
1.    To carry out the plan done in Week 2.
2.    To identify the shot footages and personalize these footages in the editing process. 
__________________________________________

27 November 2012 | Tuesday





Weather has been kind to us. 
First stop was Plum Tree Creek, where Ah Keng shall be 'born'.
今天,天氣配合了我們。
第一站是樹梅坑溪,也就是阿坑誕生的地方。


***************************************

We are giving Ah Keng a taste of being a poster boy. 
阿坑誕生後,被我們拐去當 poster boy.
 






It's amazing we can always find some joy in our work.
在工作當中,也應該來點樂趣。


_______________________________________________


今天的報告完畢!

That's all for today. Thank you....

__________________________________________


28 November 2012 | Wednesday

Interview with 陳鍊忠先生 aka 巧爸 from 雅加達早餐店 and Ms 貓兒綾綾.


 陳鍊忠先生 has been nicknamed 巧爸 because he is the adoptive 'father' of 巧克力, 
a stray dog he picked up 8 years ago.
巧克力 is currently the mascot of 雅加達早餐店 and you can occasionally see him patrolling the street where he lives.

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30 November 2012 | Friday

Interview with Ms Catherine Lee, staff of Bamboo Curtain Studio.
李曉雯女士.

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1 December 2012 | Saturday

It's been raining non-stop these days...
雨連續下了幾天。
Ah Keng is all geared up for rain tomorrow.
阿坑套上雨衣,等待明天的戶外採訪。

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Bamboo Curtain Studio Residency Journal WEEK 2

Week TWO | 第二周
戲偶製作: 拍攝準備
Puppet Making: Filming Preparation


1. 為竹圍打造一個只屬於竹圍的代表戲偶。
2. 整合前週調查和參訪所獲,設計拍攝問捲和內容,確認拍攝地點、機制和行程。
3. 模擬拍攝時如何分鏡和取景。
4. 繼續進行田野調查,補足有待調整的拍攝內容與大方向。
1. To create a puppet craft that is uniquely a product from Zhuwei.
2. To organize and digest the research materials gathered at the previous week and to conduct site recce as well as to draft out the production schedule of the video shoot.
3. To work out detailed framing and shooting based on the storyboard.
4. To plan for re-shoot or additional footages if deem necessary.
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20 November 2012 | Tuesday

Puppet design concept:

The name Zhuwei (竹圍) originates from how the original Aboriginal community structured their land. Families planted bamboos to surround their house as a mark of territory. At the same time, the bamboos served as a protection and shielded the houses from strong wind.

竹圍的名稱,來自遇原住民建立的地。他們在家的周圍種了竹子,把竹子圍成了个籬笆 ,稱四角竹圍。四角竹圍除了劃清每個家戶的地皮以外,還為它們防風。



Plum Tree Creek used to be the life source of the first Aboriginal settlers. Through time, through urbanization, the creek is fast disappearing physically and in the minds of the residents. Survival of this creek currently lies on the effort of a small community who cares about this land.

樹梅坑溪是原住民開發土地、建立生活的主脈。因發展与建設的元素,曾經旺盛的樹梅坑溪,現今成為一條快被遺忘的小溪流。樹梅坑溪的未來,就靠一群熱愛這片土地的居民來為它製造一條有生命力的‘道路’。

******************************************

Singapore is a country of rapid developments. A land size of 647 square kilometres (excluding the scattered islands), it now contains a population of 5.3 million people.

For years, I have been searching for an identity, something I can cling on to, something to allow me to extend my roots firmly into the land I call home. After interviewing the locals here in Zhuwei, I gathered that we share the same fate. The environment has been constantly changing. Green jungle has given way to concrete jungle. The old has given way to the new. 

Due to such inevitable changes, is the search for one's identity possible? 
Or should this "search for identity" become "building of identity"?

This question would be answered with the help of our Zhuwei puppet. Kian Sin and I have decided to name it Ah Keng (pronounced kerng with a silent "r"). Ah Keng (阿坑) will go round interviewing the local residents and help us find out where this path will lead us to. 

Will it be discovering of identity? Or will it be building of identity? We shall know when we reach phase three of our project. 

在迷失的狀態里,與其尋找身份,不如製造一個身份?

___________________________________________

Materials:
1) Natural materials (as plants, twigs, etc)
2) Non-combustible materials (such as trash seen at the creek)

材料:
1)天然的(如草、枝、等)
2)人造的(如在竹林坑溪里被遺棄的廢物)


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22 November 2012 | Thursday

Basic sketch of Ah Keng (by Ong Kian Sin).
阿坑的基本構圖 (王健松作品).



 Materials bought and collected for the puppet construction.
今天購買以及收檢的材料。

Puppet construction work has started.
We are three days behind schedule. With the weather turning into cloudy and rainy days, progress of the construction work may be delayed further.
我們開始動工製作木偶了。
因為之前的採訪拖延了時間,加上老天爺一直在下雨,製作的過程會花更長時間。



 The natural elements collected has to be cleaned to make sure they are insect free. They have to be dried as well but it will take some time since it keeps raining.
撿來的植物,都必須把昆蟲与骯髒處理掉,然後把它們晒杆。因為外頭一直下著雨,在室內它們會很慢杆。

Paper mâche is also something we need to do. We are keeping our fingers crossed for the sun to appear tomorrow. Meanwhile, we have to come up with a contingency plan.
希望明天太陽公公會露露面,向大地招招手。
在盼望着明天的來臨,同時也想想其他製作偶的測略。

The battle begins now...
我們沖啊!!!   

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23 November 2012 | Friday


Having a bedroom-workshop has its plus point. We can work till the wee hours of the morning and when we can't hold back our sleepiness any longer, we can simply hop onto the bed.
把臥房轉換成工作室,可以長時間製作偶。累了只需跳上床就可以睡了。

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24 November 2012 | Saturday

Parent-child Workshop by The Finger Players
十指幫呈獻: 親子工作坊

Part of our residency programme here at Bamboo Curtain Studio is to share the many forms of puppets with the local residents.
我們在駐村的活動之一,是与本地的居民分享各種類的偶。


Preparation...   準備的過程....


Thanks to Jie Mei for her kind assistance.
謝謝佳美的協助!



And now we wait...   等待觀眾....

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25 November 2012 | Sunday

 It's a beautiful SUNday!!!! Time for a tan!!
太陽出來了!!!! 是時間曬太陽了!!


 With today's sun, we are able to proceed with clay molding and paper mâche.
有了陽光,我們可以進行制型紙製作了。




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26 November 2012 | Monday

Development of Ah Keng.
阿坑快要誕生了!









  A rod puppet Ah Keng (left) and a hand puppet Ah Keng (right).
阿坑杖頭偶 (左) 与阿坑布袋偶 (右).

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