Who's Shooting What? 2011: Nelson Yeo

Director:Nelson Yeo
Project: Seeya in Elektrik Dreamz

My final year thesis short film, continuing to blur the line
between genre films and art house, this is probably my most ambitious
project to date. Currently my team is sourcing funding for the film.

"A tale about four people confronting the end of the world."

7th Singapore Short Cuts - 'Nobody's Home' by Nelson Yeo

Nelson's taken a leap in his execution and vision with Nobody's Home. He's had a few short films going around between First Takes and other one-off screening events but none were confident in their execution as this one. The premise is an obvious long shot - Western genre in a HDB setting. What on earth does the HDB-scape have that is inspired heroism, courage, dare-devil acts and the swashbuckling spirit of a cowboy? What then appears at first glance to me is two Ah Bengs dealing with money under the table while drifting in and out of staircases and void decks. But on hindsight, I though it was quite ingenious of Nelson to reinterpret the Ah Beng into a cowboy parallel. Having said that, none of it would have been effective if not for its thoughtful and well-designed cinematography. Moving shots punctuated with appropriate pauses, clever play with spaces and a wise choice of Queenstown (the abandoned part) all added to its visual aesthetic.

In particular, a scene in which a strategically placed camera swings us to and fro between 2 different sections of a building stands out as a signature style of the film. It seems like a hybrid between an arthouse-type voyeurism and the makings of a thriller. In fact, all that furtive panning reminds me of Pen-ek’s ‘Invisible Waves’ – also a brilliant play on spaces. The main let-down about ‘Nobody’s Home’ is the fact that a thoughtful visual play is resting on a paper-thin plot and under-explained characters. In fact, seen through logical eyes, the Western spoof in a HDB settings make no sense and could only be the result of a whim to flesh out certain fantasies. But isn't a great film about 'transporting' the viewer and adding something new to the general cinematographic vocabulary?

Singapore Short Film Awards - The Raven by Nelson Yeo

The Raven reminds me of VR Man in a way or another...
Just another Superhero influenced film to me. (That is what I feel, no offence)

BUT... He is the observer, the guardian and grim reaper.

HE Can...
FLY
PECK the "killer"
and save the lady and he's back up on the building to continue his Surveillance "duty"

This is one of the considerable fiction shorts which I will actually pass.
Liked the way he shot the short.

Singapore Short Film Awards - Jaded Winds by Nelson Yeo

SSFA moments are partially made of these - you remember the films that touched and you also remember the films that appalled you. Watching 'Jaded Wind' was a like slap on the face. I sat up, jaws dropped, struggling to deal with the absurdist, random, amorphous thing that film was. The title belies the real thrust of the story. 2 supposed jaded warriors (ironically acted by 2 adolescents) settle their differences once and for all. The 'wu xia' (Chinese period kungfu) genre gets a painful contortion. Set amidst 'glorious' HDB flats, the 2 fight on top of a hill. We are treated to one slapstick antic after another. While most of us would like some room for the absurd after too much gravity seen in the other films, the filmmakers could have been a little more conscientious with the absurd antics. Unfortunately, corners were cut in the delivery. And many of the meaning behind the very personal jokes were lost. Risk well taken! But do try harder.