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Behind the Lens: Discovering Smartphone Filmmaking
- 20 hours ago
- 2 min read
At Hwa Chong, Sabbatical Week gives students opportunities to explore creative interests beyond the regular curriculum through hands-on learning. The Smartphone Filmmaking and Creative Storytelling Sabbatical was conducted by Mr Alvin Lee, an award-winning Singaporean filmmaker, writer and director whose short films have been recognised at major local and international film festivals. Through his guidance, students learnt how filming techniques, visual storytelling and editing could transform everyday ideas into meaningful films. In these reflections, Kayven and Thorsten share how the experience deepened their interest in filmmaking and strengthened their teamwork.
Creating Together
Written by: Kayven Ker Ren Hao (1O2)
This sabbatical taught me so much about filmmaking and editing! Working with my teammates was amazing, and I am really proud of what we created together.
Our instructor, Mr Alvin Lee, showed us interesting filming techniques and taught us how sound, music and different camera angles can make a film look more professional. Watching Mr Lee’s own films also gave us ideas on how we could improve our work.
The best part was filming at the Botanic Gardens. It felt as though we were real filmmakers! We had the freedom to be creative and had to work as a team to solve problems along the way. Even though the sabbatical lasted only a short time, we had a lot of fun and became closer as friends.
This experience made me realise how much I enjoy making films!
Behind the Camera
Written by: Thorsten Lee Rui Zhe (1A2)
This sabbatical was absolutely amazing and went by far too quickly! At first, I felt nervous being around so many new people, but my interest in photography and videography kept me excited.
Mr Alvin Lee was an incredible teacher. Watching his film 种子 (Seed) amazed me, especially the way he told the story. It inspired me to create something meaningful too.
As our group’s cinematographer, I learnt that filming is not easy. During our outdoor filming session at the Botanic Gardens, we had to stand under the hot sun until my phone overheated! It was challenging, but completely worth it.
Our group worked very well together. Everyone had different strengths, and we all took our roles seriously. We faced some challenges along the way, but we always found ways to improve our film.
Spending 992 points on this sabbatical was one of the best decisions I made! Filming with my friends and creating something we were proud of gave me memories that I will never forget. I really hope this programme returns in future Sabbatical Weeks because it is an exciting way for students to discover new interests.
Enjoy this short film titled "Behind You"!
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