Meet Zulkefli Mohd Zain, a director of photography based in Kuala-Lumpur Malaysia and a member of the StudentFilmmakers Filmmakers Network. See Zulkefli’s Network profile to connect.
Work:
“My work is based on advertising; still photography, TV commercials, motion pictures.”
Filmmaking in Malaysia:
“Here, there are big differences [compared to filmmaking in] Hollywood. The budgets for a motion picture film normally cost about RM 1.2M up to 4.M [$340 USD to $1M USD], but we manage to shoot just like a big budget film. The trends in filmmaking nowadays [in Malaysia] – there are a lot of action, horror genre films that have been made. Not much on drama – we have some, but not much.”
Locations in Malaysia:
“A location I like is the island, especially in Terengganu, and a man-made lake also in Terengganu, Kenyir Lake; and Tasik Bera is the largest natural lake in Malaysia, Pahang. Melaka and Penang are towns for old colonial buildings.”
“I like to do lot of a low key lighting set-ups, Rembrandt or butterfly light.”
Favorite Technique:
“It depends on the scene or the screenplay, but I kinda like dolly and crane shots.”
Favorite Tool:
“My Sekonic L-758Cine.”
Challenge and Solution:
“Everything is a challenge on the set or in the studio. [Every shoot has a different setup with different needs.] Know the locations; have a great crew, and a great gaffer to work with. Plan well and have a great time.”
Current Projects:
“I have some TV commercials to shoot, and advertising still photography. For an upcoming project, I’m still pitching for my indie film. It’s called My Enemy. The film is set in 1944 Malaya [Malaysia] when the Japanese was taking over Malaya. Anyone interested in producing it [let me know].”
Zulkefli Mohd Zain
Job: Director of Photography / Camera Operator / Still Photographer Location: Kuala-Lumpur Malaysia http://networking.studentfilmmakers.com/zulkelfi
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