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Galactic Paint

GALACTIC PAINT is a short documentary that encapsulates the experience of Singaporean astro-photographer, Ivan Bok, as he captures galactic wonders from light-years away through his low-rise balcony window in the heartland of the most light-polluted country in the world.

  • Kah Jing Jing Ong
    Director
    The Conservation Conversation (2016), Trespass: Stories from Singapore's Thieves Market (2018), A Sunny Past (2019)
  • OKJ (Ong Kah Jing)
    Writer
    The Conservation Conversation (2016), Trespass: Stories from Singapore's Thieves Market (2018), A Sunny Past (2019)
  • OKJ (Ong Kah Jing)
    Producer
    The Conservation Conversation (2016), Trespass: Stories from Singapore's Thieves Market (2018), A Sunny Past (2019)
  • Ivan Bok
    Key Cast
  • OKJ (Ong Kah Jing)
    Editor
    The Conservation Conversation (2016), Trespass: Stories from Singapore's Thieves Market (2018), A Sunny Past (2019)
  • Jeremy Lau
    Director of Photography
  • Jeremy Lau
    Colourist
  • Cheng Lijie
    Sound
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Science, microdocumentary, astronomy
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 28, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    350 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Singapore
  • Country of Filming:
    Singapore
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Kah Jing Jing Ong

OKJ is a documentary storyteller whose life is greatly influenced by and benefited from non-fiction films. He hopes to produce works that provide audiences with a sense of "being in the moments" and create empathetic connections to universal values featured.

Since 2016, the earnest attention to his craft resulted in OKJ traveling from Singapore to ASEAN countries and further aboard such as Norway on commissioned works. He sees his skillset of a director, producer and editor as a passport to unique and meaningful experiences and respects the responsibilities of conveying those experiences for a larger audience.

He also has several accolades, including:

- Best Documentary (Open Youth Category), 2019 National Youth FIlm Awards
- Winner @ 2019 AIC Video Competition
- Semi-Finalist @ 2018 Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival
- DBS Gold Award @ 2017 National Youth FIlm Awards
- Nominated ASEAN Filmmaker of the Year @ 2017 International KL Eco Film Festival
- Audience Choice Award @ 2017 NUS Point & Shoot 48-hour competition

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Director Statement

The making of this documentary was initially motivated by the challenge of intriguing audiences using the medium of astrophotography in Singapore –
a process that produces awe-inspiring photos but in a manner that is equivalent to waiting for paint to dry.

We focused our creativity in overcoming this challenge by limiting the film’s duration to three minutes – a pragmatic approach that kept the project within our micro budget of S$500 and opened up possibilities of submitting the film to competitions such as the “My Rode Reel Shorts”. What came from this focus was a deliberate showcase of Ivan’s craft juxtaposed to his environment. Subtlety was key in this work, with each of the 17 shots meticulously chosen to showcase the elements of Ivan’s story. These scenes are complimented by thoughtful sound design that immerses the audience in Ivan’s balcony as his telescope gathers light.

In these three minutes, local audiences can feel a sense of wonderment in the familiar confines of a HDB balcony, while foreign audiences will be awed by the peculiar space where his craft takes place. Audiences can also expect to feel the satisfaction that comes from waiting as galactic paint dries.

While intrigue was the initial goal, the surprising effect of the juxtaposition between curiosity and environment was the illumination of Ivan’s childlike wonder regardless of circumstance. It was what I personally took away from producing Galactic Paint, and I hope the audience may have an equally illuminating journey too.