Hi, I’m Shoki. I’m currently a student at NTU School of Art Design and Media, doing a film major and working on my final year thesis film. Most of what I learn at school can be applied to the outside working world and is a great balance. In school, I’m kind of protected by the institution but I also get to learn and grow. However, in the working world, it’s not as protective but I get to use those skills to help myself in my professional career.

One of my biggest accomplishments was when my short film, Chasing Paper got into the Busan International Film Festival. That was quite an experience for me as it was something so unexpected. I am grateful for the opportunity to travel to Busan, meet other filmmakers and watch a lot of great films. When I first got the news, I was in disbelief, it was very humbling. I remember telling my family, telling my girlfriend, and obviously my team, and it was quite a special moment. After the Busan International Film Festival, it opened my eyes to a lot of different films, and the different styles of filmmaking. Being able to be a part of the festival, was a great privilege and validation to pursue filmmaking as it’s not a very conventional thing otherwise to do in Singapore. Hence, my aspiration for 2019 would be to find my place in the industry and know how I can contribute to the filmmaking scene in Singapore.

With every film production, there are different challenges. Someone told me once that filmmaking is about problem-solving, with every film production you definitely encounter problems, and with filmmaking, it’s a very dynamic problem every step of the way. For example, pre-production, the actual filming, all these are opportunities for disasters and challenges. It gets you to think on your feet, be open to changes and ultimately along the way they are blessing in disguises. You never know how these challenges might turn out. You will look back and tell yourself “okay that was a good decision to make”.

I may not be very experienced myself, but I think what I can offer to youths is to not be afraid to take on projects or works that might seem challenging at the start. Usually, it’s those tasks that challenge you the most that ultimately make you grow. Meet new people, like new filmmakers, as filmmaking is very community-based and you will need collaborators and people you can work with to create a film. Because a film is not just a sole project, it involves different departments of people. Really put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to meet new people.