A Road Different From Mine
A film is only a combination of frames per second, but a movie is a story made into visible action. When I first got the assignment to film a story on a young man whom has a passion for music, I thought to myself, “it should be easy…just take a few shots of him playing guitar…it should be fine”, so I immediately agreed to take up the challenge. After a month of filming, I must say, “challenge” is nothing short of what this assignment actually turned out to be, it was not “easy” at all. Why? Be patient, I’ll get there! A few weeks have passed, since the first time the production team got together to draw out the blueprints of this project, and I am confident in stating that we are 20% complete with this project. 20% sounds minimal to many, but to me, the process and experience I have retained from completing that 20% was equivalent to that of a roller coaster ride; it was overwhelming…in a good way : )
Before I get into the emotional part, let’s start with the basics. The subject of this film is a young man, called Gioreno, striving to succeed in the brutal world of the entertainment industry in Taiwan. He has talent, he has the looks, he has the heart and most of all, he has the passion; but why don’t we see him on the magazine of ELLE, GQ, or Vogue? Why do I never read about him and his affair with another female celebrity on a gossip magazine (壹周刊), read by every person, hung in every bookstore rack in Taiwan? The answer is not a million-dollar question; it is just simply because he chose to be a “star”. The mainstream definition of being a “star” is basically having multiple endorsements, 10,000+ fans, 3+ record labels, owning a nice car, and lastly, feeling arrogant. The indie definition or the true definition (at least to me) of a “star” is something quite the opposite. Please see below for my definition of a “star”:
Star /stär/ (Noun)
A person that shines light on another’s darkness, through the means of entertainment.
Samples sentence: Gioreno is a star, every drop of his passion lifts the mood of another’s unhappiness.
Synonym: Gioreno
So how was the process of filming this “star”? Well, besides the technical difficulties and the loooonnnnnnnnngggggggg driving hours, it’s quite cool. How cool? Pretty darn cool.
Let’s start off with my first trip to Taoyuan, to film Gioreno and his band’s (Overdose) competition. I remember on the way to the competition, Tracy and I got lost and probably got off the wrong highway exit at least a gazillion times, but of course, we eventually arrived at the destination. Upon arriving at the destination, my camera was locked and loaded; Tracy and I marched gloriously towards the entrance (or so we thought) of the stadium. It was not long until we realized that we were at the wrong entrance! I remember the entrance we first stepped upon was deserted; there was no one. We looked at each other blankly, wondering, “what on earth is going on? Are we at the wrong place?”
It took a while for us to find the actual entrance, but eventually we did...thank god. I will not get into the details of filming their performance, because I must say, the highlight of that day was definitely not the performance, but rather the KYC session with each band member.
Filming was the initial purpose of this trip, but it turned out to be something else that blew my mind that day. I realized that every single member of Overdose had a story of his own; and each story had one thing in common: “zero gravity”. The reason I say this is because, for these 5 band members, the sky was the limit, there was nothing pulling them down; I could see it in their burning eyes. The only g-force stopping them from reaching the “star” was their courage and diminished passion. But no worries, I didn’t see any sign of that happening.
Nearly all of these band members make a living by doing part-time jobs, they don’t earn a monthly salary, and they most certainly do not get by easily. But each band member doesn't whine about the hardships of life; they see it as a driver to continue their passion…
I remember filming them sitting in a circle on the grass field just outside the stadium, and it wasn’t long until I realized there was a special bond between each member of Overdose. They seemed like one whole big family; it recalled my high school days in TAS. They radiated a sense of serenity and calmness. To put it in more practical terms, they weren’t here only for the competition, but for the journey. Who got first place or second didn’t really matter to them at all, or to be more exact, the 300 K grand prize was just a stack of blue paper that stinks, nothing more. What mattered most to them, was every second they spent bonding, fighting together for recognition; I sincerely respect that.
Now, the climax happens at Gioreno’s house. Before we went up to the house, I was quite nervous about the outcome of this interview, or to be more exact, I was worried it would be awkward. I remember as Tracy and I walked into their apartment, there were a few seconds of awkward silences as we sat down; we looked at each other, hoping someone would start the conversation. Anyway, eventually the conversation kicked off, and surprisingly, Gioreno’s mother had more to say than we expected! I am sorry I cannot go into the details, since I don’t want to be named the “spoiler”. But I must say, his mother had a story of her own. She used to be a choir singer, and she travelled around the world to perform, and it wasn’t until she faced upon health issues with her lungs, did she stop singing. We asked her some questions and enquired about her attitude towards his son’s path on pursuing a musical career; she was extremely supportive. It is hard for me to believe a mother can be so supportive of her own flesh, her own blood, pursuing a dream that is nearly impossible to be successful in. My mother would probably leave me out to dry if I ever brought up the idea of going into the entertainment industry…X_X
During the interview I felt a sense of motherhood, looking over Gioreno; I was touched. Therefore, a sudden surge of courage crawled up my spine, causing me to ask, “can the mother and son sing a song together?” Initially, I expected Gioreno to reject (because I would…), but he said “Sure, why not?” without a second thought. Now, if you want to listen to their duet, be patient, because you probably won’t hear it until 2013…
The past two trips of filming were fun, adventurous, and most of all, I got to know this world better. Before Gioreno, I only saw the world from one perspective, and it was the mainstream perspective. You might ask, what is the main stream perspective? Well, from a mainstream perspective, we see the world as a place where we try to fit in the “formula”, or we make the safest bets; we never leave our comfort zone. Overdose and Gioreno introduced me to a whole new world, where people seek any possible way to leave that comfort zone.
I am determined to make a great film for this guy…he’s definitely worth it…
I am confident to state that this film will be a big hit in 2013, no scratch that…it’s going to be a HUGE hit in the theaters.
To be continued…
