From ‘American Beauty’
~Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey)
I feel like I’ve been in a coma for about twenty years. And I’m just now waking up.

“If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed.” ~Stanley Kubrick

“I really approached the film as if it was a white big piece of paper and I was just going to draw a picture on it. And whether that picture was good or bad, whatever people thought of it, what they could never take away was that it was my picture.” ~Johnny Depp

The first Filmcamp kicked off on a Sunday morning, 31 January 2010, after months of planning and pinning down a good venue.

See Filmcamp welcome note and why an unconference by @chrisgomez

Filmcamp is a non-profit, grassroot-run unconference covering all aspects of filmmaking- from scriptwriting, acting, directing, composing to producing etc.

Some participants’ profiles:-

‘I am a dreamer in the body of a veteran tv director and producer and writer, jaded with the world of soul-less (local TV), but still believing that I can tell a good and simple touching story. Now I want a bigger audience. Can I? Will this be my last shot or the beginning of something inspirational? No novice to the film scene, but still in the cradle…that’s me..’

‘It is still a mystery after spending twenty years in the film industry. So believe me. Oh boy! Do I have questions.’

‘Does watching almost 100 films per year qualify me attendance to this exciting event?’

Thanks to all – special thanks to the National Library Board and Bill Grundfest, Terrence Masson, Pearlly Chua, Lien Pek and all the speakers for their enthusiasm! To the participants and volunteers, you made this happen. We thrive on creative chaos; we hope that your takeaways were plenty.

~

The mayhem (some highlights from the #filmcampsg Twitter stream in reverse chronological order)
*If you have written about Filmcamp sessions, please let us know. Help us add your shared experience on our website.*

1. Terrence Masson (vfx producer for ‘Star Wars’ and ‘South Park’) answering questions about Singapore’s potential as a go to post-production place. #filmcampsg via @thedak 11:45 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
2. At #filmcampsg Avatar… Has anyone seen the show? A: (you mean) Avatar 1 or 2? :)) tee he he 11:43 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
3. RT @korffr: #filmcampsg Terrence Masson VFXhttp://yfrog.com/1ecotvj 11:36 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
4. …and we are patched. Terrence Masson, “South Park”, “Star Wars” speaking abt vfx #filmcampsg http://bit.ly/9ilsv9 11:26 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

5. Dezz Moey ‘Big Bang’ on songwriting excellence: universality, clarity, development of ideas, singability, viability in market. #filmcampsg 11:01 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

6. Desmond Moey and Kevin Matthews talking about film music at#filmcampsg http://bit.ly/aq7 bUO10:56 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

7. RT @preetamrai: this #filmcampsg is getting so interesting. Thanks NLB for the wonderful venue. 10:54 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

8. RT @DrenBoy: FilmCamp Singapore is nao in FULL SWING after lunch, who knew Nat Library could be so cool? #filmcampsg#barcamp #barcampsg 10:52 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

Mad About English

9. RT @ruiwen: Viewing Mad About English @ #filmcampsg of how China is learning English. 5 mins in our minds our blown. China’s hunger is ..10:51 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

10. RT @floraiyeo: ‘film is a very personal medium of expression’ #filmcampsg 10:50 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

Archon Defender

11. screening ‘Archon Defender’, ‘Mad About English’ and more at the Imagination room. #filmcampsg 9:43 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

12. Best name badge and cool t-shirt award goes to @castertwy#filmcampsg http://bit.ly/bMQKGN http://bit.ly/bifyTV 9:38 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

13. Camerawork workshop, by Singapore Polytechnic #filmcampsg http://bit.ly/dfrVbp 9:26 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

15. 7 stories. Abt 40 hours of footage. Better to overshoot cos u never know when the magic’s gonna happen. -Lian Pek #filmcampsg
16. : Lian Pek talking abt the journeys with the POWs while shooting Sayonara Changi. Myriad emotions evoked for sure.#filmcampsg 7.16 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
17. Lian Pek sharing abt the challenges she faced while making the Changi Prison docu. #filmcampsg 7:15 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
18. RT @korffr: Lian Pek #filmcampsg http://yfrog.com/33hdvpj 7:00 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

19. Acting Samson and Delilah http://bit.ly/bpGKjV http://bit.ly/b948pl http://bit.ly/bdceOI #filmcampsg 7:14 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
20. Pearlly Chua’s acting workshop #filmcampsg http://yfrog.com/3luvrljvia @korffr6:57 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

21. Food and… #filmcampsg http://bit.ly/djpQRO 6:53 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
22. Thank you Bill for a fantastic session. Now Lian Pek’s talk at the Possibility Room and Pearlly’s acting workshop. #filmcampsg 6:47 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

23. tips from Bill Grundfest (Mad About You) on how to sell your script. ‘this is not a fine art. It’s a commercial art’. #filmcampsg 6:39 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
24. RT @ssumin: If you can daydream, you can write. Visualize the scene and ‘transcribe’ how the story unfolds. #filmcampsg 6:34 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
25. RT @thedak: Bill Grundfest: Writing is the act of transcribing your daydreams. #filmcampsg 6:32 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
26. ‘…the writer stares at the blank screen and from nothing you create the universe’ Bill Grundfest #filmcampsg 6:32 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
27. Bill Grundfest: ‘everyone in the production is an interpretative artist, the writer is the only original force…’ #filmcampsg 6:29 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
28. RT @korffr: Bill Grundfest #filmcampsg http://yfrog.com/4a74jpj 6:04 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
29. Bill Grundfest showing his Golden Globe award. #filmcampsg5:50 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
30. And we are on air! …with Bill Grundfest, award winning writer for ‘Mad About You’ http://bit.ly/c2Qu9h #filmcampsg5:48 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck

~

Some Pre and post-mayhem
-Tx 4 the fantastic workshop by Singapore Poly. You guys rock! RT @pingkwa: had an inspired time at ##filmcampsg! thanks…
-hey Bill. Glad you came! RT @wmclaxton: wasn’t expecting much, but #filmcampsg totally rocks! I particularly enjoyed the talk by Lian Pek…
-Tx for coming. That’s what we are all about :) RT @luwileo: Had a good time interacting and learning at #filmcampsg
-Yes! RT @bleongcw: thanks National Library Board Singapore for helping @filmcampsg with their event. It’s great place for sharing ideas…11:37 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
-RT @LovePancakes: FilmCamp Singapore is what I call groovy!#filmcampsg @filmcampsg – lovin this unconference! 11:27 PM Jan 30th from TweetDeck
-jiggy time RT @midaymasala: @filmcampsg got such an adorabs email from you guys! Eeee I’m excited for the mayhem on Sunday! 10:16 PM Jan 28th from TweetDeck
-RT @chrisgomez: I hope all who came to @FilmcampSG met who u wanted 2 meet OR found/learned what u needed.

FilmcampSG “Extended” – The post-Tweetup!

See ya next time!

Follow us on Twitter and www.filmcamp.sg for updates.

By @vanessaching

Other links (visit for new updates)
-@floraiyeo I was so glad that I attended the very first filmcamp…
- Archon Defender blogspot
-@chinyong Barcampsg4 and Filmcamp
- Socialpr
- Creative Crew
- Straits Times Top Picks this Saturday
- The Singapore Daily