Having always wondered how one's moment and experience can always be kept in lasting memories and revisited time and again. That is where I have noticed that I have been doing it in my head all this time which was picture memory. Whether to recall something important or to solve a problem, like a science question on an O-level paper to remembering the multiple passwords I have used. However, the problem is that it is not always accurate, leaving room for second-guessing. So the obvious solution was a camera, either to take pictures of a moment or to record a whole set of moments on a video.

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The realisation came during a meeting of students (this was during my polytechnic days) of the various schools and diplomas, gathering to plan out pre-departure plans for an Overseas Social Innovation Project (OSIP) trip to Makassar, Indonesia. From the serious discussion moments, to the sudden cracks of laughter and applause during ideation time inspired me to compile those moments( especially with the upcoming time spent with our Indonesian counterparts, the locals, visiting local sites and experiencing their culture) into a video so that everyone could enjoy and reminisce. That is when I purchased my very first beginner DSLR camera, marking the start of my journey into capturing and editing moving stills and photography.

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Having majored in Architecture at Singapore Polytechnic, I was trained with the technical skills of using the various programs in Architecture school and the soft skills of organisation, adaptability and critical-thinking. This background allowed me to pick up the editing skills of using programmes such as Premiere Pro and Lightroom Classic with much ease (of course with the help of the online teachers, Youtube and Google) and apply it to the videos and stills that I have produced to this day.

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The first professional work that I have done on a video production was during my two years of service to the nation which was called National Service. Volunteered to produce, film and edit an introductory film-like video of my Units service and duty in protecting Jurong Island, one of Singapore’s key infrastructures and economic drivers. Along with me and two of my fellow servicemen, we curated the script with our Officer Commanding (OC), practised the scripts with the voice actors, recorded the footage through multiple sessions with various groups of actors and edited at any moment possible all while carrying out our soldiering duties. Working on a tight timeline and navigating the endless bureaucratic red tapes for approvals was certainly nerve-racking.

 

However, it was all worthwhile, as our efforts were recognised. We received accolades in the form of a Commander's Coin and Recognition Certificate of our service. At the same time receiving recognitions by the Division and Unit Commanders as well as the Unit HQ Media Team.​ But most importantly, the recognition received from the cast and team I worked.

 

Additionally, I joined NorthStar Creative for a duration of 6 months to begin my professional journey. Here, I gained niched experience and expertise in the areas of videography, photography, product shoots as well as livestreams. 

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This experiences allowed me to delve into a small portion of pre and post-production work. However I believe that there is still so much more to learn in effectively portraying the right moments and emotions into a well-edited and scripted recording.