HANDS ON OPPORTUNITY FOR MSU STUDENTS IN MICRO BUDGET FILM MAKING

MSU Students are invited to participate in the making of a micro budget film to be shot on location in and around MSU campus.
MSU collaboration in the project has the approval of MSU President Dr. Supachai Samappito.


Micro budget film maker KM Lo and producer Jean-Philippe Ury-Petesch (JP) are seeking volunteer students from MSU to act as film crew and extras for the project. 

Students selected to be part of the film crew will be paid an allowance of 300 baht per day shooting which will be paid in a lump sum at the end of the shooting, expected to be from December 22 - 31 and January 4 - 7 next year.


MSU Students! - Click here to go to the Micro Budget Film Information Page 


The film is entitled “Le Temps de Cigales – The Time of the Cicadas” which is a reference to Jean De La Fontaine’s fable. Click here for link 


Famous French Indie star Mr. Didier Wampas , lead singer of famous French punk rock/psychobilly band Les Wampas has agreed to come to Thailand at his own expense and donate his valuable time to appear in the film. (Click here for Wikipedia link to the band Les Wampas)

Mr. Didier will be in Thailand  for filming for a short time in early January.

The film will be submitted to all big European and Asian film festivals in 2012. Hopefully it will be released Thailand in August/September 2012 and then possibly in Europe.

Interested students will first attend a two hour lecture on micro budget film making given by Hong Kong born film maker/producer KM Lo on December 19. 





In KM Lo’s own words;

 “I've been invited as industry expert to lecture in many universities and I always tell students, class room is not fit for film lecturing. Just go on the set and you learn much faster.”

Film maker KM Lo is a great believer in hands on learning; urging students to take what they learn from his workshops outside to immediately put into practical use what they have learned. He has previously been involved in similar projects in Cambodia and spent time living the part when producing films on homeless in Japan.

KM Lo was accompanied to MSU last week by French born writer JP (Jean Philippe Ury-Petesch) who wrote the script for the film for initial film location selection.

It is expected the film will be shot on location in and around MSU campus.

KM Lo is also a proponent of tuk tuk cinema, a concept whereby a mobile cinema is set up using a tuk tuk, a very mobile form of cinema which can easily travel from village to village.

In early December KM Lo and JP will be giving a two hour lecture/information/recruitment session to interested students. After this there will be evening workshops where students will learn about producing a professional product on a micro budget. Shooting on location will then take place in late December and early January.

KM Lo is not bringing a film crew with him. MSU students will be directly involved in camera work, sound, costume etc. MSU students will be the film crew.

Looking into the future it is possible the micro budget film concept introduced by KM Lo opens up possibilities for the low cost production of Isan movies. There are thousands of wonderful Isan traditional folk stories, culturally significant sites whose story can be told.and traditional cultural values which can be passed on to the younger generation. Not to forget the significance of sharing Isan music and dance. Coupling micro budget film making with the concept of tuk tuk (or even song thaew) cinema and the support of the MSU business incubator and knowledge base of Mahasarakham University opens up many possibilities for the formation of a community based indigenous film industry.

It is perhaps one answer to the question of how traditional Isan cultural traditions and values can be given relevance using modern technology.

Click here to go to the Micro Budget Film Information Page 

Click here to go to KM Lo's You Tube Channel