1. Can you talk about your own background and work?

Depending on the project, my work touches on everything production. So, I’ve been in the producing department, casting department, location department, and sometimes even post-production.

I actually started out in the industry with an internship in Greenlight Pictures, a company that focuses on indie and commercial films. Now I work full-time in Greenlight Pictures! Being an in-house staff means I work on the projects from the development stage up to the release of the film. From there I had the privilege of working on films, documentary projects, and Barbarian Invasion!

2. You are the Line Producer, Production Manager, and Location Manager, how did you handle three positions at the same time?

I don’t want to sound cheesy but it’s definitely a group effort! I have to admit it was a bit crazy at first. It was as if I had 3 different checklists on me at all times. And it would be my first time being the PM for a full-length film. But I had a good team by my side and they really saved the day. Jing Xuan, Jessie and Apple were always on their A-game. If I had to leave the set to sort out a location issue, I could trust them to make sure everything runs smoothly on set.

3. This film (Barbarian Invasion) was mainly shot in Terengganu, how was the process of location hunting?

Actually, location hunting was not the most difficult part. The director, Mui, grew up there so she was already familiar with the area. In our first recce, even though I had a rough plan, Mui knew the places better than all of us so she was almost like a tour guide. Not to mention, the locals were all so welcoming and excited to help out!

The one thing that was difficult was when Mui requested for different types of beaches. This one really threw me off. We visited so many different beaches, it became difficult to differentiate which was which. There was a rocky beach, an open and sunny beach, a beach lined with trees, a beach with the perfect view of the moon, and so on. Although, when I think back, it was nice to be able to explore so many sea sides, especially now that we’re all stuck at home in the pandemic.

4. This film was shot during Covid-19, how did it affect your team and working process?

When they announced the first lockdown, we were actually in Terengganu for our recce. We all sat in the car and listened to the announcement on the radio. We drove back the next day and everything was put on pause. There were people that were going to fly to Malaysia to work on the film but unfortunately, we couldn’t make that happen anymore. Plans were shifted, locations changed, and SOP were all new to us. But once everyone was on board, it was just a matter of keeping everyone healthy and safe.

5. What was the biggest challenge you faced during the production?

There were a number of times when the schedule would suddenly change during production. And these changes would affect all the departments, logistics, and locations. So, it was a lot of quick thinking and having to coordinate with the team at a moment’s notice. It would get frustrating at times, but everyone was so cooperative and the crew were always helping out one another.

6. Any other things you would like to talk about?

It takes a team of people behind the scenes to make a film come to life! There’s so much that happens and so much work the crew put in that the audience would not get to see. It’s great that the people behind Barbarian Invasion are taking the time to highlight each and every one of them! Every department plays a big role and they are all interdependent. I’m so glad to have met and worked with a group of talented filmmakers through this project.