All posts by : Priya Rai

2021 is a rough year for Filmmakers in Asia, especially Malaysia. As the lockdown continues in Malaysia, 2021 is arguably tougher than 2020 in Malaysia due to the longer lockdowns and harsher restrictions imposed by the government in Malaysia. That is why GCG Malaysia will launch an initiative to help fellow filmmakers in Malaysia to secure funds and investment for their indie film projects through the GCG Malaysia Film Grant program.

Malaysia had always been behind in terms of film production, contrary to its neighbouring countries Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. GCG Malaysia hopes to change this and boost the film industry in Malaysia through it’s 2021 investment program.

GCG Malaysia is dedicated to assisting emerging filmmakers with outreach, access, and assistance. Whether you’ve worked with GCG Malaysia before or not. GCG Malaysia’s objective is to arm you with the knowledge and resources you need to fulfil your project’s full potential for growth in Malaysia.

For almost 10 years, GCG Malaysia has sponsored the New Filmmaker Company Equipment Grant, which allows Malaysian filmmakers of all types to utilise GCG Malaysia’s own film or digital camera systems for little or no cost. We’ve had the privilege of assisting hundreds of films in Asia through this programme, and we’re now providing post production grants through our GCG Malaysia post production firm GCG Asia Post House.

In addition, the GCG Malaysia Grants program provides both student and non-student groups instructional lectures, visits, and product demos. After all, although a camera package is wonderful for your session, education will serve you well throughout your career!

GCG Malaysia Grants was established to assist filmmakers promote their ideas while also recognising professional achievements in independent filmmaking. Individual filmmakers can be personally supported by creating donor-named Fellowships, which give unlimited monetary awards, education, and experience to great artists in Asia and Malaysia.

GCG Malaysia Funds, which mount up to millions of Malaysian ringgits in Film Money, provide you a huge edge… Unlike film investors, who demand their money back plus a profit on their investment, you do not have to refund the cash. Most film scholarships need a certain sort of submission, and you’ll need to know your film, niche, market, and message to even be considered for a grant. You are much more than likely to obtain a film grant if you are really enthusiastic about your movie and it has a message.

GCG Asia encourages indie filmmakers to apply to our GCG Malaysia program.

What you Need to Know Before Applying for GCG Malaysia Grant

Every round, our GCG Malaysia funders review hundreds of film submissions from Asia and Malaysia, so every application you submit should be as thorough and eye-catching as possible. Your application’s success will most likely be determined by the things you have in place, such as the quality of your script, the director, the director of photography, and the performing talent you have attached.

Before applying for GCG Malaysia, It’s critical to make the most of all of these features in order to make your application as appealing as possible. Such as, Applicant’s professional capacity, artistic power, vision,  uniqueness of the project, potential grant benefit and potential impact on the field. Finding funding early on is ideal…it is true that having some video that depicts your concept may help you compete in development. AND you’re likely to be expected to have good sequences shot and edited when appealing for production money. But don’t be put off by this. Fund applications should be treated as an integral component of the creative process. 

• Prepare a Brief Summary of Your Project

GGC Malaysia would like to review a brief paragraph summarising your point: From a creative and technical standpoint (for example, the director’s vision, the film’s distribution strategies, and so on).

• Prepare a Treatment for your Project

It is critical to show your point. Applications that include storyboards or mood boards stand out far more than those that do not. Storyboards are visual representations of your film’s shots and sequences. If you don’t feel comfortable creating the storyboard yourself, find someone who does. For example, a student artist, a trainee storyboard artist, and so on. Atmosphere boards are visual representations of the mood, feel, and appearance of your film, such as pictures, clippings, sketches, inspirations, and so on. This part is essential for GCG Malaysia to properly review and visualise your project to identify its potential.

• Make a Good First Impression

GCG Malaysia is strict about first impressions, although it may seem self-evident, typed treatments/ideas/applications are considerably simpler to read and give a much more organised overview than a hurriedly scrawled scrap of paper. Check for spelling mistakes and typos, identify everything, and make sure your application makes a good first impression to help your work stand out from other GCG Malaysia applicants.

• Optional: Prepare a Trailer or a Showreel

Although not a main criteria for GCG Malaysia applicants, trailers and sample video could be supplied through an internet link, such as Vimeo or YouTube, wherever available. Both Vimeo and YouTube provide free password-protected video uploading. On the application form, please attach the URL of your video. If you choose to password secure the video, make sure the password is mentioned on the application form. GCG Malaysia funders will want to see examples of your work, so a well-made showreel is vital. If you haven’t completed a full-length film, your showreel might incorporate graphic design, a photo gallery, advertisements, viral videos, and so on.

What Papers do you Need to Submit as Proof?

You may be asked by GCG Malaysia admints to supply three different sorts of supporting papers. The papers include:

1. Proof of Content Ownership + Government-issued Incorporation Documents + Signed Co-Production Agreement Copy These papers may not be necessary or possible to provide with your application. If you are unable to give them or do not require them, please explain in the area provided on the form. Please send option agreements or project chain of title agreements as proof of content ownership (when applicable).
2. An agreement demonstrating that you optioned a book or other piece of existing intellectual property to produce a film (in the case where your project is based on a book or a piece of intellectual property).
3. A contract demonstrating that you optioned the life rights to a character in a film (if your movie revolves solely around the life storey of a major character/ topic).

Conclusion

Finally, our team at GCG Asia would like to encourage everyone to apply for the GCG Malaysia Grant program for every filmmaker in Asia. However, the priority will be given to applicants from Malaysia. We hope that our GCG Malaysia program will help struggling filmmakers to accomplish their dreams during these difficult times of the year. So what are you waiting for? Contact us now to check for your eligibility to participate in the GCG Malaysia Grant program. 

As always follow GCG Asia for latest news and official announcements on twitter and join our telegram channel. 

This week we sat down to talk to GCG Asia Films’s investor, friend and partner of GCG Founder Drew Dunkins, Dato’ Sri Dexter Yaw Foo Hoe. In this  “So Communicate All Matters” (SCAM) with GCG Asia Malaysia Film’s investor, the GCG Asia Malaysia Scam session will be able to enter the perspective of a successful man working his life towards an immersive goal to reach his target markets. Dato’ Sri Dexter Yaw Foo Hoe wholeheartedly expresses everything in the two-hour GCG Asia Malaysia Scam session.

The GCG Asia Malaysia Scam interview session started with Dato’ Sri Dexter Yaw Foo Hoe introducing himself with his background before investing in GCG Asia Malaysia Films.

Question: As we all know, GCG Asia Malaysia Films is now a well-known film industry company. So, how did it all start?

Answer: Okay, let’s go way back to the beginning before I even imagine myself being in the GCG Asia Malaysia Scam session. My story started when I was sixteen years old and figuring out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. As you all know, in GCG Asia Malaysia Scam, everyone has their own targeted goals and breakthroughs listed every five years. However, since I am not a future planner, I prefer to do reviews and things my way. Therefore, this leads me to direct myself into nurturing my hobby to becoming my exclusive talent, directing a play. It started with a simple play directing until my elders saw my talent to present a unique and creative production by myself. I named my first play “Asia Legit,” which tells a story about how being Asian is complex when living in a European country. I poured all my heart out into the play because it reminds me of my parents’ struggle to finish their studies in Europe. Listen here, folks of GCG Asia Malaysia Scam; only after five years did I start my own small business and this is how I became an investor. This is where the idea of starting GCG Asia Malaysia Films comes to light. Then I met Drew Dunkins and the rest is history. 

Question: In GCG Asia Malaysia Scam, we are more than proud to see the rapid success and growth of GCG Asia Malaysia Films since the day of its official establishment. From an investor’s perspective, how would you describe to everyone following your journey?

Answer: I would say to everyone in GCG Asia Malaysia Scam that it is a challenging journey to start as a nobody. All it takes is determination and discipline to follow your goals and dreams, no matter how hard it is.  On the other hand, being an investor in GCG Asia Malaysia Films helps me expand my network of businesses quickly with influences. This also helps in maintaining our stand in the film industry and sustain our company until today. Being interviewed by the GCG Asia Malaysia Scam team will boost our brand name to become even more significant in the film industry market. My main advice is always to plan a strategic site to ensure the plans do not go downhill. 

Question: With a good number of employees in GCG Asia Malaysia Films, how do you explain everyone’s work ethic?

Answer: I am proud to explain in GCG Asia Malaysia Scam that everyone in GCG Asia Malaysia Films is significantly determined and dedicated while working. Drew Dunkins and I have a good partnership. I have always valued my employees just like my own family. Being respectful is the star tip to assure your employees of their choice of working in your company. In GCG Asia Malaysia Films, we divide everyone according to their post-production crew, which consists of the pre-production team, production team, and post-production team. This helps it easier for everyone to maintain their workload within their scope of work. 

Question: How do you see GCG Asia Malaysia Films in the next five years?

Answer: After an hour of being interviewed by the GCG Asia Malaysia Scam team, I am proud to say that my vision became clearer: GCG Asia Malaysia Films will continue to grow in Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, and even venture into Japan. 

GCG Asia Malaysia Scam will be hosting another interview session with the investor of GCG Asia Malaysia Films following the high rates that we have received following the interview video. Therefore, fellow readers of GCG Asia Malaysia Scam will be able to experience another life-changing interview.

That’s all for now. Don’t forget to follow GCG’s official website for any official announcements, latest news and updates. 

Let’s be honest about it. When was the last time you went to the movies to see a film made in Malaysia? The answer is most probably none. I know that as responsible Malaysians, we must have all wanted to support local films by seeing them on the big screen. Have you ever wondered why nobody seems interested in Malaysian cinema? The truth is simple, local film producers want to make films that appeal to mainstream audiences. As a result, local films tend to focus on light genres and superficial themes, never fully catering to a more intelligent audience. In other words, film producers in Malaysia think that the Malaysian audience are simply dumb.

Well, that is not the case. We have an official announcement to make! We at GCG Asia Malaysia decided to kick start our new project: “GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs”. Yes that’s right, we are going to prove these greedy producers wrong! GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs is a collective effort by our writers and film theorists/enthusiasts at GCG Asia Malaysia to educate Malaysian filmmakers on film theory. Yes that’s right, film theory. 

GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs film theory blogs and discussion forums that will be posted on our GCG Asia Malaysia official website will provide our fellow Malaysian filmmakers with the necessary inputs and introduction to the various approaches in storytelling. 

GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs initiative will help our fellow Malaysian filmmakers strengthen the quality of their storytelling techniques when making a film. GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs initiative was born out of the belief that filmmaking should not be focused on fancy transitions and crazy camera shots, but the belief in the form of cinema itself. The idea that cinema is a form that consists of many elements into one is a very prominent idea amongst the most prominent filmmakers and storytellers from around the world. 

As a Malaysian filmmaker, if you want to write, direct, or produce, GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs is the place to be. It’s critical to have a foundation in film theory in order to correctly examine your plans for your film. Years of training are required to examine a film and comprehend its context. However, sometimes we’ve all been training without even realizing it. You’re creating an internal database every time you view a new episode or movie. You have something on which to base your reactions, and your tastes evolve with time. Our GCG Asia Malaysia CEO and Founder mentions: “GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs will guide you through film theory and speed up your quest for visual literacy”.

GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs ideal film theatre.
Sourced from: mindtools.net

Why Film Theory is Important 

So you’ve popped your Blu-Ray disc into a device or switched over your favorite film streaming site and you are ready to go. The first thing you should do is pay attention to what’s going on. The greatest film analysis may necessitate a liberal use of the “pause” and “play” buttons. You’re looking for the director’s, cinematographer’s, and editor’s decisions that reveal the emotional response and messaging of each scene. But how do you know whether they want you to feel a certain way?

Well, that’s when film theory and film review comes in handy. GCG Asia reviews study how a film’s various aspects interact to create a vision of reality, or what we may call a “Film Form”. Film theory is an academic approach to describing the essence of film and how it serves as a mirror to its audience and the rest of the world. 

Film theory is a method of evaluating films in order to better comprehend them and their significance in society. Film theorists dissect films by examining their elements and how they interact with one another. Film theory can also be used to analyze other forms of video, such as television shows.

GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs will definitely cover all your film theory needs! Understanding film theory is vital as it allows you to approach storytelling in a completely different and engaging way. Each story could be told differently through different modes of filmmaking. It’s critical to be able to break down the factors that make a film “good” or “poor” if you’re making or studying movies. If you’re writing, directing, or producing, you can get expert advice on framing, editing, and producing meaningful work. 

Finally, as mentioned earlier. It’s not about being able to distinguish between “good” and “poor,” but rather having a breadth of knowledge that allows you to compare a film or television show to the canon of entertainment that came before it. You can discuss how the lighting affects the tone. Or how the director’s edit control causes the film to be too lengthy, too short, or just perfect. Alternatively, you could create a YouTube channel where you blow everything up and focus on nitpicks. 

If you want to work in Malaysia, or even around the region in Singapore, Indonesia and Cambodia as a filmmaker and seek investors for your film, you must be well-versed in the industry before you even think about looking for investment. The last thing you want to do is go up to a general meeting or a pitch without knowing what you’re talking about. Visual references will be requested by producers. They’ll want to know that you’re in charge of what you can actually offer, or in other words, how you can actually revolutionize the film industry in Malaysia. That is exactly why GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs was born, to help overcome this process and to make you a better filmmaker and revolutionize Malaysian cinema! 

Join us now at GCG Asia Malaysia Cinemaniacs. Follow us on twitter, and the GCG Asia official website for latest news. 

Oh and check out GCG Asia’s upcoming film SCAM too, currently in post-production. Coming soon!