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Selangor : Camera... Action!
Stay Fit Stay Focus Cycling Video Shoot @ Serendah -15th September 2013
The film-makers were looking for some eager cyclists to take part in the filming and had contacted Tailim (of the hApPy HaPpY blogs) & Siew Yung to rope in some volunteers to be "actors". This AhPek got roped in also. There were discussions on what we should wear and how we should act. YY, the script-writer for this documentary, advised: Just be yourselves and wear anything suitable as long as there are no conspicuous brand names.
Eager and wanting to have more time to prepare ourselves, we early arrived at Serendah - the filming location - by 6:00 am. After breakfast and while the crew were getting their equipment ready, we went for a short warm-up ride around the small town.
The shoot location was earlier planned to be at Kiara Hills & Sungei Pencala. However as no vehicles are allowed up Kiara Hills, it would not be possible for the crew to film without their vehicles. The location was thus changed to the small rural town of Serendah. Though further away, this location is even better and we are familiar with the place have we have rode here before (... see What A Rush! Serendah Waterfall Ride).
ACTION!
Gathering round at the main street of Serendah with its pre-war houses, we were briefed by Jason, the director. They will be filming us as we cycle from Serendah town to the nearby waterfall where we will stop and interviews will be conducted with the cyclists. We will also be filmed enjoying ourselves at the waterfalls and other locations, just like what we normally do during our cycling trips, i.e. ride, stop & enjoy, ride again.
We are off riding to the Seven Wells of Serendah. Along the way, a scooter with a pillion video-man was weaving in and out among us shooting us in our cycling action. All of us tried our best to be ourselves.
The Seven Wells of Serendah is a small dam built to reduce flooding in low-lying Serendah. The name comes form the seven round inlet chambers of the dam that looks like wells. Serendah has its name derived from the Malay word "rendah" meaning low.
On the other side at a lower level are the outlets, also seven in numbers. Each outlet twinned to a well in a ying-yang fashion; one absorbing and the other releasing.
Yes, we did act our natural selves - cyclists hanging around, relaxing, having fun and chatting with the locals. Kim borrowed a fish caught by a local uncle to pose for a photo. She's really being natural here, squirming as much as the fish at the end of the hook.
SOME FILMING EQUIPMENT & SUPPORT
Tailim being fitted with a microphone by the Sound Tech. The boxy recorder/transmitter is fitted at the back bottom and the microphone wired from there to the top front, all hidden under the T-shirt. From the looks of Tailim's grin, it does get a bit ticklish while the fitting is carried out.
The crew were very professional. Other than the large video recorders carried by camera men in a van and on a scooter, some of us were fitted fitted with the top of the line GoPro Hero3 versatile action camera. Seang Nee had one fitted to the top of her helmet to get filming from a top view while she was cycling.
These cameras were also fixed to the lower frames of some of our bicycles so as to get a lower road view.
One was even fitted right at the bottom of the a bike - this will film the bottom-viewing-to-top angle.
The motorcyclist support-man on his scooter. His pillion will be doing the filming with the camera that he is holding. This camera has a gyroscope so that it will be stable at all times - we don't want jerky video output do we?
Acting is not easy, there are stops for equipment re-fitting like those shown above. And then there are the re-takes for the best shot - several times we had to repeat cycling up and down the same stretch so that the crew can get the best shot that gives the right feel.
AT SERENDAH WATERFALLS
After that brief interlude at Seven Wells, it was onward and upwards to the Serendah Water Falls. The last few hundred metres there was no easy ride as YY found out. Some parts of the roads are damaged by erosion and hardly ride-able.Well, when it comes to that, just dismount and push.
The Serendah Waterfalls is a beautiful, serene place. The onrush of the water is exhilarating both just to listen to and unwind in (... see more at Serendah Waterfalls blog).
Here too, we can admire Mother Nature's beautiful creations.
Chilling out time is over! It's showtime again, back to business.
This time several of us were interviewed, stating our experiences in cycling, safety on cycling, etc. To get different viewpoints, we were interviewed in batches. John & his daughter Natalie, on cycling as a family. The ladies on the female side of cycling. The older ones, who have been cycling for much longer, on their veterans viewpoints.
RUBBISH CLEARING OF SERENDAH WATERFALLS
Seang Nee, ever conscious of the environment and her social obligations, had organized a rubbish clearing of the waterfall area. Irresponsible picnickers and campers have left so much litter that it has really made the area unsightly. She had brought along plastic gloves for us to wear to collect garbage that has been strewn all over the place. Even the filming crew chipped in.
It's no easy task, digging into the undergrowth to get those smelly, rotting rubbish out. Still we carried it out ungrudgingly.
Eeeeeww! What is that sticky, slimy stuff?
Our efforts done, we took a group photo of us happily waving, pleased with our deeds. There is a real satisfaction in seeing the place much cleaner, returned to it's pristine state again.
Next rubbish clearing --- Sungai Chiling!
CLOSING
On the way back down, we stopped at the Sekeping Serendah for some rest at this quiet and tranquil forest retreat. As privacy here is much valued, no filming was carried out.
After the hard work of filming and being garbage collectors, it was time for lunch at Serendah Tomyam.
WATCH OUT FOR THE DOCUMENTARY "STAY FIT, STAY FOCUS" on RTM which will be coming out soon.
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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Selangor : Camera... Action!
Stay Fit Stay Focus Cycling Video Shoot @ Serendah -15th September 2013
This is going to be uniquely interesting!
Some of us will be taking part in the cycling episode for the "Stay Fit Stay Focus" documentary series by RTM (Radio Television Malaysia). Are we ready to be actors and actresses? Can we maintain our composure during the shooting? As always, we will give this shoot our best shot!
PRELUDE
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| Crew & cast at the Serendah Waterfalls. |
The shoot location was earlier planned to be at Kiara Hills & Sungei Pencala. However as no vehicles are allowed up Kiara Hills, it would not be possible for the crew to film without their vehicles. The location was thus changed to the small rural town of Serendah. Though further away, this location is even better and we are familiar with the place have we have rode here before (... see What A Rush! Serendah Waterfall Ride).
ACTION!
 |
| YY and Jason riding with us. |
Both Jason and YY (the director and scriptwriter) rode together with us. Getting a feel of the cycling, they can then relate better to us and do their jobs to produce the video documentary more realistically.
AT SEVEN WELLS OF SERENDAH
SOME FILMING EQUIPMENT & SUPPORT
Acting is not easy, there are stops for equipment re-fitting like those shown above. And then there are the re-takes for the best shot - several times we had to repeat cycling up and down the same stretch so that the crew can get the best shot that gives the right feel.
AT SERENDAH WATERFALLS
This time several of us were interviewed, stating our experiences in cycling, safety on cycling, etc. To get different viewpoints, we were interviewed in batches. John & his daughter Natalie, on cycling as a family. The ladies on the female side of cycling. The older ones, who have been cycling for much longer, on their veterans viewpoints.
RUBBISH CLEARING OF SERENDAH WATERFALLS
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| Seang Nee (centre) |
Next rubbish clearing --- Sungai Chiling!
CLOSING
WATCH OUT FOR THE DOCUMENTARY "STAY FIT, STAY FOCUS" on RTM which will be coming out soon.
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