Meet the Talented Students Behind the Award-Winning Film Monstrosity
Riding on the great success of the student film “Monstrosity” which has won numerous awards to date, we interviewed three students to get the behind-the-scenes take on the making of this film.
How did you contribute to the monster success of Monstrosity?
Arjun: As the Director of Photography, my main job was to convert the script into film. My focus was to ensure what we wanted to convey was being conveyed. Being the Lead Editor, I was able to further this by adding subtle effects and by colour grading.
Tomy: For me it was a whole new experience, being actually part of the making of a film. I was given the task of conceptualising the lighting in each scene and actualising those concepts in the shots.
Zoe: Originally my role was Assistant Director. As our professional makeup artist dropped out at the last moment, I also ended up doing the actor’s makeup most of the time, creating the look of a gothic and deathly Jack.
Arjun (right) with lead actor Jack Hyde working on the scenes being taken
Zoe (left) and Arjun (right) performing a check on the camera
Tomy ensuring that the lighting is right in place
What is your favourite memory of the production? Any anecdotes you wish to share?
Arjun: My clearest recollection would have to be the last day of shoot, at Chay’s house, when we finished shooting at 3 am. The end of the shoot was a stress reliever for me since I knew for sure that I’d be able to churn out the edited film in time.
Tomy: My favourite memory is that night we were at Fort Canning. We were shooting a murder scene and were taking a few last shots. The scene involved quite a bit of screaming, and Jack running off screen with a bloody knife. Just as we were going to take another shot, a police car with its blinking siren pulled over. We were looking at one another wondering “are they here for us?” and I remember James had to explain to the cops that we weren’t murdering anyone (we were). That, plus the unearthly hour, apparently worried some passerby who called the police on us!
Zoe: Oh yes, the police incident!
The crew’s encounter with the local police while filming late into the night
For other aspiring student filmmakers, what advice would you give them when taking up a film course?
Arjun: For aspiring filmmakers, my recommendation would be to just do it. Don’t think too much about it – there is no such thing as a “perfect film.” Just make a film, learn from it, and move on to the next one!
Tomy: Don’t be afraid to experiment! Watch good films to learn cinematography techniques, and watch bad films to know what to avoid.
Zoe: JUST DO IT!
Discussing and preparing to shoot a scene
The team calling it a day and posing for the camera ☺