THE NATION
UNEDITED CUTS: Thailand needs to raise its ‘film’ standards
Published on Mar 13, 2003
ACTION!
Film crews are in very short supply in Thailand. No one is training new personnel and equipment is in short supply. More foreign film producers and companies are showing growing interest in Thailand as a location. It is a good sign for the country, but it needs to get things up to international standards if it is to compete.
Hollywood Producers presently have two scripts with Location Thailand and a third French screenplay for assessment. Enquiry into movie making here is running fast at present according to Ric Lawes, who has 15 film projects waiting funding.
Black Opal Capital with Canadian expat, Christopher Bracey-Gibbon, is due to launch its film fund soon. However, the company’s professional advisers, Tilleke & Gibbin, are remaining tight-lipped about the dates.
Indian actor/director Feroz Khan is back in town yet again, with Benetone. I wonder what is his real purpose is.
Hong Kong and Indian crews are working feverishly with FM Film. Are they making a kung-fu dancing music movie, Indian style, or a dancing kung-fu movie Hong Kong style? Anyway, the end product could be an interesting hybrid. Remember Jackie Chan dressed up as an Indian maharajah in “Shanghai Knights”? Or will Shashi Kapoor in full Indian garb hop from tree to tree?
Expat English director Kaprice Kea is running, writing, acting and directing courses here in Thailand.
The Phoenix project that I touched upon in my February 13 column is “Sons of the Wind”. The Frenchmen involved in this project are staying at the Sheraton Grande Hotel. Imagine French and American (“Belly of the Beast”) crews sharing different floors in the same hotel. Think of Iraq.
The Steven Seagal camp can’t seem to get a director of photography locked down as yet. They also have a Chinese stunt director who doesn’t speak English and they are now translating the script into Chinese. As if we don’t have English-speaking stunt directors available in Thailand.
The Film Board confirms that the first script for “Belly of the Beast” was rejected outright in a letter to Ronnie Yacov and local co-ordinator Mark Pestonji, Santa’s son. The screenplay was rewritten by a local script editor and resubmitted by Location Thailand with whom the approval rested until January, but Location Thailand has since informed the Film Board they do not wish to represent Seagal or his film.
ML Sidichai Jayant, director of the Film Office, confirms that the “Belly of the Beast” script – although the production has now shifted from Steamroller Productions to John Thompson – still cannot get approval. With Location Thailand formally revoking its interest in the film, what happens next? Over to you, Thompson.
Menahem Golan’s film “Final Combat”, has been printed so it is as good as finished and ready for release. But the word on it is that the fight scenes are terrible all because of bad editing.
Not all’s lost. Tonny White, the lead actor in the film (which is his debut feature) is not bad at all. People who know the actor say that he is a nice chap.
Tonny has other film offers so I hope this does not affect him.
Bill Oliver is completing the edit and sound mix of the feature “Tortured Soul” for FM Film run by Michael Srisomsub.
The complex film about a triangle involving a straight man, a gay man and a woman will certainly touch the chords of million of viewers when it is available for release shortly.
I will keep you informed of the updates.
CUT!
KenYwin@nationgroup.com
*******************************************
UNEDITED CUTS: Thailand needs to raise its ‘film’ standards
Published on Mar 13, 2003
ACTION!
Film crews are in very short supply in Thailand. No one is training new personnel and equipment is in short supply. More foreign film producers and companies are showing growing interest in Thailand as a location. It is a good sign for the country, but it needs to get things up to international standards if it is to compete.
Hollywood Producers presently have two scripts with Location Thailand and a third French screenplay for assessment. Enquiry into movie making here is running fast at present according to Ric Lawes, who has 15 film projects waiting funding.
Black Opal Capital with Canadian expat, Christopher Bracey-Gibbon, is due to launch its film fund soon. However, the company’s professional advisers, Tilleke & Gibbin, are remaining tight-lipped about the dates.
Indian actor/director Feroz Khan is back in town yet again, with Benetone. I wonder what is his real purpose is.
Hong Kong and Indian crews are working feverishly with FM Film. Are they making a kung-fu dancing music movie, Indian style, or a dancing kung-fu movie Hong Kong style? Anyway, the end product could be an interesting hybrid. Remember Jackie Chan dressed up as an Indian maharajah in “Shanghai Knights”? Or will Shashi Kapoor in full Indian garb hop from tree to tree?
Expat English director Kaprice Kea is running, writing, acting and directing courses here in Thailand.
The Phoenix project that I touched upon in my February 13 column is “Sons of the Wind”. The Frenchmen involved in this project are staying at the Sheraton Grande Hotel. Imagine French and American (“Belly of the Beast”) crews sharing different floors in the same hotel. Think of Iraq.
The Steven Seagal camp can’t seem to get a director of photography locked down as yet. They also have a Chinese stunt director who doesn’t speak English and they are now translating the script into Chinese. As if we don’t have English-speaking stunt directors available in Thailand.
The Film Board confirms that the first script for “Belly of the Beast” was rejected outright in a letter to Ronnie Yacov and local co-ordinator Mark Pestonji, Santa’s son. The screenplay was rewritten by a local script editor and resubmitted by Location Thailand with whom the approval rested until January, but Location Thailand has since informed the Film Board they do not wish to represent Seagal or his film.
ML Sidichai Jayant, director of the Film Office, confirms that the “Belly of the Beast” script – although the production has now shifted from Steamroller Productions to John Thompson – still cannot get approval. With Location Thailand formally revoking its interest in the film, what happens next? Over to you, Thompson.
Menahem Golan’s film “Final Combat”, has been printed so it is as good as finished and ready for release. But the word on it is that the fight scenes are terrible all because of bad editing.
Not all’s lost. Tonny White, the lead actor in the film (which is his debut feature) is not bad at all. People who know the actor say that he is a nice chap.
Tonny has other film offers so I hope this does not affect him.
Bill Oliver is completing the edit and sound mix of the feature “Tortured Soul” for FM Film run by Michael Srisomsub.
The complex film about a triangle involving a straight man, a gay man and a woman will certainly touch the chords of million of viewers when it is available for release shortly.
I will keep you informed of the updates.
CUT!
KenYwin@nationgroup.com
*******************************************
Either the film is in production or it isn't.Perhaps Seagal should move right onto The Yakuza instead?I wish they would sort BOTB one way or another.
