GROUP PHOTO: (From left) Bea, Yasu, Maxmillan and Hanafiah at a press conference regarding 42nd Pictures’ first feature film set in Bako National Park.
KUCHING: A Kuala Lumpur-based production company 42nd Pictures Sdn Bhd will be shooting its first feature-length film in Bako National Park here.
Its director Japan-born Yasu Tanaka told the media at a press conference yesterday that the natural environment of Bako National Park, which he visited in 2007, had given him the inspiration to work on this major project.
“We chose Sarawak because we see huge potential for filmmaking here. Sarawak offers a unique and atmospheric location for filming which cannot be found in Japan or elsewhere. I was amazed and inspired during my visit here in 2007,” he said.
Pre-production preparation began a year ago and filming is expected to begin some time in April for a duration of one month.
“However, many will find it difficult to shoot outside because it will incur a larger production budget than usual. But we are giving it a go because we want to do something different,” he added.
Although reluctant to reveal the full synopsis of the film, Yasu hinted that it is a psychological thriller which incorporates elements of mystery, suspense and drama.
“It is about a couple facing midlife crisis,” he said, adding that the main cast would feature notable actors and actresses from Malaysia with only one Japanese actress on board.
The highlight of the film, Yasu further said, would be the river scene and as such, the production team has been studying the tide chart closely to pin point shooting schedules.
Also, Yasu sees this project as a head start to establishing a long-term relationship with Sarawak on developing the film industry and pursuing more filming projects here in the future.
Yasu had been residing in Los Angeles for more than 20 years and worked as a scriptwriter and script analyst in Hollywood and Japan.
Yasu’s wife Malaysian-born Bea Tanaka, who is the producer, said they also aimed to introduce the film to international markets when it is ready for release possibly some time in 2014.
“We want to ensure optimum exposure of the film to local and international audiences. Therefore, we have also
considered distributing it in the international market and introducing it in international film festivals,” she said.
When asked about the budget for the filmmaking, Bea did not reveal the actual figure but said they would have to work on a strict budget, a big part of which was under the grant from National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas).
As such, its assistant director Mohd Hanafiah Abdullah said that pre-production preparation was done early, including assessing locations and possible obstacles to come up with other options and action plans.
“One of the biggest concerns was on logistics, considering the crews and equipment we have to bring in while the national park is only accessible by boats,” he explained.
“But we have more or less sorted the issue out,” he said.
Its director of photography, Maxmillan Schiege from the United States, who is here for the first time, was excited about the filming and agreed that pre-production preparation was crucial to minimise risk.
“This is also my first time filming in a jungle. It will involve a range of different things from jungle to river as well as the people and small villages surrounding the park,” he added.
“Film making is different from other kinds of arts. There are definitely different challenges in film making.”
42nd Pictures also contributed to the improvement of Malaysian film industry through all aspects including scriptwriting, directing, production and photography.
Yasu was active in academic activities since 2009 in which he started teaching Masterclass for Scriptwriting at Finas as well as giving lectures and training in related fields for corporate companies, colleges and universities.
That apart, the Tanaka couple have also produced a tele-play called ‘Lari, Sayang, Lari’ for Astro Ria channel which was premiered in October 2011.
The company also offers services for script consultancy and script development.
Also present were Finas’ head of Sarawak Region Mohd Subri Abdul Ghani and Nazrieman Bujang from Sarawak Tourism Board’s Corporate Communications Unit.