Bodhi : director's commentary

• Main Author: Png, Zhen Yu
• Other Authors: Chul Heo
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: DRNTU::Visual arts and music::Film::Digital
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/77266
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This is a Digita Filmmaking project from the School of Arts, Design, and Media. The purpose of the film project is to bring forth the teachings of Buddhism and emphasize on the significance of the religion through engaging narrative and dramatic storytelling. The film follows a single mum, Li Ping, who is affected by her son’s, Jun Hao, decision to ordain as a monk. When reality kicks in the day before her son’s ordination. Li Ping’s fear for loneliness becomes prominent when her son prepares to embark on a new journey as a monastic. She begins to cast doubts on her faith and struggles to choose between her faith and her only son. The objectives of the film project were achieved through months of detailed research, including interviews and site recces. The topic, due to its religious sensitivities, were approached and studied in a cautious manner. A script was drafted and layers of changes were made before the final piece was shot into digital film format. Using visual imagery, the film allows the filmmaker to express his thoughts towards the issue and effectively communicate his intentions to the viewers. Through rounds of discussions and pre-production work, the team discovered the inner workings of creating a short film, and each member managed to delve deep into their respective roles and specialty throughout the period of the project. The team also discovered the value of working with one another as a team and the importance of synergy in this project. The film was created by core members of this FYP group, along with some help from classmates and friends, creating meaningful and memorable work with maximum value and purpose.