Pro Talk: Interviews

Over the years, Red Swans has been involved in many corporate video productions. We have a number of international brand clients who depend on us to produce quality videos. Producing corporate based videos help us become better videographers as these projects are more demanding and require greater innovation than a wedding videos.

Every year we have the opportunity to conduct numerous interviews with top decision makers in brilliant corporations. However, there is one yearly project that we are very fond of: The Martell VSOP Rising Personalities Awards.

Recording an interview is an exacting process as it is an art form. Some of the main concerns are lighting, location and audio. Often, existing lighting may not reflect the mood we're trying to capture hence we come prepared with lighting equipment. The background a subject is captured in front of is crucial to composing a good-looking shot. Crisp clear audio is obviously paramount in an interview which is why we have a set of special mics to capture sound.

One of the most important aspect of conducting an interview has to do with the subject. We always make the subject feel at ease and warmed up before the interview. This is especially important and worth taking the effort because a tense subject leads to a very bad video production.

Watch a video we produced for Joanne Yeoh, a famous professional violinist. The video we've attached is a clear example of Red Swans' capabilities as videographers. Background, lighting, audio and a relaxed subject are all well considered.

Joanne Yeoh was liked the video so much, she is now our long-term client. We will be her official videographers for her performances.

Venue Review: City Bayview, Penang

The quaint and serene island of Penang off the northern coast of Peninsula Malaysia is but one of the treasures the island has to offer visitors to the Pearl of The Orient.

Penang is a common feature in most multi-national company's calender. Consequently, we travel frequently to this island for video projects, on shoots lasting for days. Comfortable lodging and clean, delectable food guarantee our videography team a fresh and enthusiastic start the following day.

Located just across from the more opulent Eastern and Oriental Hotel but overlooking the sea nevertheless, City Bayview offers comfortable, cosy and most importantly, clean, tidy rooms. Its beds are a joy to sleep in and promises a bright and early start the following morning. The TV channels offer local and cable programmes. Unlike other hotels, there's no need to request a channel from the hotel- they're all viewable. Cable channels are up 27/7 without any offline time.

One of my favourite cafes is just around the corner. Segafredo's panini and foccachia sandwiches are irresistible. Beware for sometimes they don't serve food, only beverages. Countering this unpredictability is City Bayview's 'hawker centre'.

The hotel operates a small row of stalls that serve the simple nasi lemak, roti canai, mee goreng etc. Granted Penang is in a league of its own when it comes to food, most penangites would scoff at the simple offerings of Bayview Hotel. However, the hotel's duck egg char kuey teow holds its own against any other similar stalls. Only the most traveled city slicker can taste the difference. What the hawker stalls lack in variety it makes up for in convenience. The stalls are located just 30 feet away from the main entrance.

One of the joys of staying in City Bayview is its breakfast. I hold breakfast as a sacred ritual, an indication of the day's events. My impression of a hotel is mostly based on its breakfast spread and City Bayview does not disappoint. In fact, it raises the bar for my appraisal of lodging and accommodation.

In addition to the usual fried noodles, rice, porridge, hams, chicken, sausages, various pastries and desserts, City Bayview boasts two stalls that cook roti canai and eggs (fried, scrambled or omelette) on demand so they are always fresh. The omelette version is packed with capsicums, ham, cheese and tomatoes.

Hospitality in City Bayview is top notch. An old hotel with its slightly worn interiors, old fashioned courtesy is never lacking here. Its staff are always attentive, polite and helpful from the cleaners, the bellboys to the check-in desk, the waiters and the room service attendants. The hotel serves a large number of foreigners and are accustomed to their demands hence the practiced efficiency.

Night life consist of an in-house lounge that features live bands 24/7. Adjacent to the hotel is Carmen Tiger Pub, a more upbeat entertainment outlet but the highlight of night life lies just behind the hotel where a host of pubs and clubs line the street from the famous Glo and Slippery Senoritas to Garage and many more. These same streets hold a charity bazaar every weekend.

We chanced upon a wedding reception during one of our stays. The ballroom is cosy but the buffet spread takes your breath away.

Vehicle parking is a little strained as the 3rd floor is not accessible by the elevator. Although parking for hotel guests is complimentary, each trip out calls for a visit to the reception for a stamp on your parking ticket.

We usually have a room that overlooks the ocean with its swaying coconut trees, antiquated bungalows enhancing the scenery and seafaring vessels dotting the horizon. If you do get a room like so, you'll be greeted with a spectacular sunrise. City Bayview has been unjustly labeled as a 3 star hotel so it charges affordable 3 star rates. There's no excuse not to park youself there when visiting Penang.

Our stay in City Bayview have always been pleasant ones and we look forward to more treats like this whenever we have video production projects in the little island of Penang.

Venue Review: Holiday Villa Subang

Holiday Villa... that name brings many happy memories to my mind.

My wife and I had our wedding reception in December 2007 at the Victorian and I acknowledge that the staff were very punctual, efficient, professional and courteous. Our meeting with Ms. Devaki, Event Manager was pleasant and in-depth. All the better to get things running smoothly.

At the time, we did not have to pay any corkage charges and we had 25 bottles of Frontera Chilean wine complimentary of the hotel. Furthermore, since we brought our own projector, we could make use of the HUGE projector screen that was smack right in the middle of the stage. It was so huge, I could notice the smallest details even if I was seated at the last table.

Since we are in the video production line, we prepared a video presentation that was to be played on the night itself. I was given the freedom to test the video with our projector and DVD player a week before the event. They even had an AV technician on standby to make sure I faced no difficulties. NO EXTRA CHARGE.

The banquet staff was always at our beck and call. Our banquet coordinator was Ridzwan and he made sure that at least one of his staff was within earshot of us. On that night, my wife developed a headache and our waiter wasted no time in running out to get her aspirin tablets.

The venue was clean and the food especially, deserves special comment: our relatives and friends gave beaming compliments about the food, saying that the food was even better than many restaurants they've attended. Some who were present during the food tasting claimed that their feedback to the chef regarding the food was actually followed through! Quite a feat, considering they have so many chefs.

We had a rather time-sensitive presentation for our march-in: professional violinist Genervie Kam will lead us in just as the video presentation ends. The AV technician must immediately play a musical piece that will sync with our violinist's tunes. That went so well, no one thought there were so much anxiety involved in the march-in. Again, being in the video production industry, I must say their technicians know their stuff.

Another thing worth mentioning is the way the Victorian is structured. You get a nice cocktail area outside the dining hall that comes complete with a small waterfall and lined with sculptures. For the tea ceremony, there is also a large enough hall right next to the ballroom where a small buffet can be served after the formalities. We were given 2 complimentary rooms which were only a few floors up, accessible by elevator.

The car park is also just a short walk away from the Victorian ballroom. All are these locations are centred around the ballroom making last-minute visits to any other rooms a short walk away. Plus, there is a very small lounge tucked away in the ballroom that can double as a dressing room and as a room to prepare payment at the end of the dinner.

As a professional wedding videographer, the Victorian is an ideal location to shoot a wedding dinner. With their beautiful painted ceiling and romantic surroundings, it's easy to do good work in Holiday Villa.

Wedding Wisdom: Foot Ball

My wife and I started shopping for her pair of wedding shoes six months before our wedding. We wanted a pair of shoes for her that would embody her personality and style. We didn't want to leave that responsibility to the bridal studio. The issue wasn't a question of their competency or their collection of foot attire, we wanted shoes that she could keep after our wedding both as a souvenir and for her wardrobe.

We visited more than 10 boutiques in town, some of them speacilising in bridal foot wear before settling for 2 pairs of shoes that would go with her wedding gown and her dinner gown.

Now, as a professional wedding videographer, I have had the opportunity to record on video many brides slipping on their high-heels on their wedding day. This segment is an integral part of a wedding video. Oftentimes, we also record the groom donning his suit and fastening his corsage. We want to show the bride getting ready to receive her groom and the groom preparing to meet his bride.

There was one video we did where part of the door game required the groom to look for his bride's shoe which was hidden somewhere in the house. After an exhaustive search, he had to slip the shoes onto her feet.

As you might have expected, for the exquisite, bejeweled, perfect-fit shoes to show up on camera, the bride's bare feet will be clearly visible in the video too. Which is why as a bride, you must never forget to have a complete pedicure.

I strongly advice that future brides get a pedicure at least 3 days before their wedding day. A pedicure by a professional is meant to be relaxing and relatively inexpensive. Grooming your feet or any part of your body, for that matter is never a waste of time. If you can spend on your shoes, you might as well spend a little on your feet. After all, they've brought you this far!

Wedding Wisdom: Sleeping Beauty

I got married last year. Our wedding, as it turned out was a fun and memorable event, punctuated by Genervie Kam's violin rhapsody and our MC, Angie Ng whose husky voice charmed everyone.

Although the events unfolded like clockwork, smooth as silk, through it all, my wife's lack of sleep the previous day made me anxious for her.

Both of us being professionals in the Video Production industry, know what it's like being behind the video camera. We've recorded numerous corporate and personal events but this time, we were in front of the camera, a very interesting about face.

A good night's sleep before your wedding is essential to guarantee a fresh start the following day. Granted we are no stranger to sleepless nights sometimes required in our profession, the average adult should be getting about 8 hours of sleep daily to function at optimum the next day.

Without a restful sleep, a bride will be edgy and easily irritated. She is anxious and gets worried easily about the most mundane things. This in turn will cast a dark cloud over the entire wedding proceedings. Your wedding day is meant to be enjoyed by the both of you, don't let lack of sleep rob you of this joy.

Insufficient sleep will also give you a pale and dry complexion. Your make-up artist has to work hard to earn her keep! But why put on an extra layer of make-up to conceal the dullness of your face when a good night's sleep will do the trick?

If you've been planning earnestly for your wedding, there should be no more last minute details that requires your attention. Leave the rest to your wedding team, after all that's what they're paid for and if they are your friends and relatives,your plans should be in good hands... after all, you appointed them!

Remember, it is highly unlikely you will be able to get another wink of sleep the entire day. I spent my afternoon going back to our new house with our videographer and photographer, getting stuck in the jam returning to the hotel, helping her remove the pins and clips from her hair, checking up on the AV system and live band etc. Before I realised it, I was slipping on my tux.

My wife had to be up at dawn for her make-up artist to work her magic. She had to remain stationary until her make-up was finished... try doing that without nodding off! Then it was time to strap on her heavy wedding gown.

Being sleep deprived will make you look worse for wear on camera and especially on video. It's not just your complexion that's at stake, it's your expression that will give the game away. Your listless, frowning stare into space is not a pretty sight!

It was rough for us, we had to manage many things ourselves but we had friends who were reliable and steadfast to whom we are grateful for. The key here is to trust your friends and the professionals you've hired to help you. Insufficient sleep does not allow you to do that, you'll end up micro-managing everyone.

In the end, you have to stay awake to breathe it all in, your wedding day! There will not be another day like this! Savour every waking moment, enjoy every sight and sound and remember every emotion!

Wedding Wisdom: Lips to Lips

Today, I'll be covering a rather interesting topic: The Kiss.

I'm not talking about just any kiss, I'm referring to the wedding kiss. Unlike the more intimate and private lip work between a boyfriend and a girlfriend or between a husband and wife, the wedding kiss is mostly a public affair. Everyone and her dog gets to see the groom kiss the bride... all the more to do it well.

The Wedding Kiss DOs and DON'Ts

DO kiss the bride slowly and with a little passion. The reduction in speed is for the benefit of the cameras and video.

DO NOT just give her a peck on the cheek. You peck your auntie on the cheek, you may kiss your mum on the forehead but you kiss your bride on the lips!

DO put one arm around her waist and cup her face with your other hand before planting your kiss on her lips.

DO NOT look elsewhere when kissing each other. A good kisser always closes his or her eyes during lip contact.

DO put both hands around your husband's neck when kissing him.

DO NOT forget to wipe any sweat from your face before kissing your bride.

DO refrain from touching your bride's hair because she has spent the entire morning making sure each curl is where it should be. DO NOT touch her face, for that matter.

DO NOT wipe her lipstick away with your lips. Most of the kissing is done by body language, not how hard you press your lips against each other or how much lip suction you apply on each other.

The above principle apply to kissing at Church, during the toasting ceremony and whenever it is called for during the wedding.

Last but not least, DO REMEMBER to remove her veil before performing the kiss!

Venue Review: Parking: Overseas Restaurant, Armada Hotel

Overseas Restaurant
Armada Hotel

1st Hour: RM 2
Subsequent hour: RM 2.50
Event patrons/flat rate: NONE