WIRA KITA season 2

I was involved in the production of WIRA KITA "Our Heroes" season 2.

Directing this series (and being involved hands-on during the research and scripting processes) saw me returning to my first love - storytelling. Crafting documentary stories of real, living people is more challenging that writing dramatic fiction. I have always been curious about people and their personal journey. I craft their respective stories based on how I see these individuals.

Most importantly, I want to showcase the humanity that makes their journey special.

Absolutely loving the National Gallery location.

Running through the keypoints with guest and host. This was one of the first interview sessions. It was after the first interview session that I will find out if the host can carry through the interview questions with the guest. I will take over when I realise that the host are not able to. (See 2nd past post caption)

The series has total of 5 episodes but I was only involved in episodes 1-4. The series premiered on 19 October 2020 on Mediacorp Suria channel and streaming on MeWatch.

Wira Kita profiles individuals who make a difference to the community with their deeds. These individuals are,

Episode 1 (Volunteer and Social Worker); Sarimah Ithnin and Rahimah A Rahim

The pandemic brings out the worst and best in people. Sarimah and Rahimah showed that humanity exists in times of need. The full lockdown circuit breaker that was first imposed in late April 2020 had made some segments of the community, especially the elderly and those living below the poverty line, to be greatly affected due to their supply chain of daily essentials being cut off. Meanwhile on the other spectrum, racism and prejudice reared their heads while the more important issue at hand is about securing measures to keep everyone safe and not start pointing fingers.

Pre-shoot research with Rahimah A Rahim

Episode 2 (Physically handicapped); Danial Bawthan "The Wheelsmith" and Nuraziana Mohd Said

Physically handicapped does not mean handicapped at living. These two individuals showed how adversity has turned their life around when peppered with positivity and sense of adventure at what life has to offer. 

Pre-shoot research with Danial Bawthan

Pre-shoot research with Nuraziana and her husband, Iskandar

Episode 3 (Youth); Aminur Rashid and Noor Zakiah Zainuddin

This episode is about youths taking the initiative to move beyond their comfort zones to do something for the community and along the way, discover about themselves. Nothing is too small when it comes to paying it forward.

Pre-shoot research with Aminur Rashid

Pre-shoot research with Noor Zakiah

Epsiode 4 (Teachers); Ira Wati Sukaimi and Shaheed Salim

Teachers, Educators, Mentors, Friends, Hope. Each one of us has taken one of these mantle at least once in our lives. One who shapes enquiring minds - both in the traditional school system and operating along the road less travelled. This episode pays tribute to the tireless teachers that aspire us and the teacher we want to be.‬

Crew shot with Ira Wati Sukaimi (President's Award For Teachers 2020 recipient)

Behind-the-scene at Ira Wati's beautiful home

Thank you, Ira Wati cher! 😜

The filming process

Before the camera rolls, I brief the profile on the interview thought process. This is to ‘revise’ with the profile, anecdotes from pre-shoot research sessions. I prefer to be present on these pre-shoot research to get a sense of the profile’s character on-hand. I then craft the different scenes based on the anecdotes shared during these research sessions into an outline before submitting the outline to the scriptwriter.

Pre-shoot briefing to run the keypoints with Shaheed Salim

Pre-shoot briefing to run the keypoints with Ira Wati

This is much like how one crafts the beats in a narrative fiction/drama. The difference between a narrative fiction and a documentary; in a narrative fiction both the setup and story are the writer’s concoction whereas in a documentary the setup is one that I aka the storyteller, crafted but the actual story (the anecdotal interview/soundbites, the people you see in the documentary) is the profile’s.

Pre-shoot research with Ira Wati and her husband at MacDonalds. This was done right after a long day shoot with another Wira Kita profile. Myself and Ruby Mohd (researcher) were exhausted.

Pre-shoot research with Shaheed Salim

I’m very hands on when it comes to storytelling. In a documentary of a people profile, it’s essentially a mini-biopic - you only pick the most compelling and juiciest bits. You also have the responsibility to tell the Truth. In television you don’t have the luxury of time with frivolous information. As a director and main storyteller I need to be precise with what I want to tell in crafting the outline before the scripting itself.

Furthermore, you’ll be doing your video editor a great favour by not having to go through a mountain of mush at post-production.

Many times during the interview shoot, where the host is incapable of carrying the interview, I would be one doing the interview. I find that many hosts are not able to follow through the questions or not able to enquire concisely the keypoints being enquired. When this happens it will be frustrating because many times the interviewer does not answer the questions - and this will in turn be frustrating during the editing process. Subsequently, after the filming with the interviewer is completed, I'll get the host to sit at my seat and film the scripted questions. Thus during post it will appear that the host is the one carrying the interview. Why I'm doing this? Perhaps that will be in another blog by itself.

On the last day with Danial Bawthan after his shoot wrapped

Obligatory wefie at The Singapore Flyer.

Photobombed by Asraf Amin (host) and Ruby Mohd (researcher)

Wrap on my last day of filming for the series (episode 4)

...And a gift from Ira Wati for the production crew which she had sketched herself that morning at 4am before coming to the National Gallery for her filming. This came totally unexpected and it caught everyone by surprise! Thank you so much.