Frame By Frame

Introduce yourself!
My name is Jing Han, and I’m currently pursuing a diploma in Media Experience and Innovation at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). It’s mostly about making film and being a storyteller. For example, one of my classes is about narratives, where we learn how to write scripts and dialogue. For the craft aspect of it, we also learn how to shoot with actual video cameras.

Have you always been into film?
Yeah, sort of. I have many memories of going to the cinema when I was younger and watching Avengers together with my family. So watching movies has become a part of who I am. That’s why I decided to do film.

What are your top four favourite films?
As much as I want to be a cinephile, I don’t watch movies as much as I want to (laughs). My favourite film of all time would have to be Happy Together from 1997, directed by Wong Kar Wai. It’s so visceral. The tension between Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung is just so good. Another one I really like is not a movie, but a show called Shōgun. It’s about feudal Japan, and it’s just phenomenal. I also really love Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor is in it and I really like him as an actor. My last one is kind of lame, but it’s Deadpool. He’s my favourite superhero. I’ve watched Deadpool so many times!

That’s a wide range of influences! Who’s a director you really look up to?
I guess it would have to be Wong Kar Wai. I know its a very generic answer, but I would love to just shadow him. I don’t really want to say I want to work with him, because I feel like that would be an insult to him. I really just want to see how he works and what he’s actually doing.

How do you find school so far?
I feel like some people might disagree with me, but honestly, I find it quite fun. There is work to do, but it isn’t to the point where it’s so stressful and I can’t cope with it. I know a lot of people are struggling with that in their respective courses. Honestly, I’m just having fun learning new things. I just know that I want to do something related to media.

Glad to hear that you’re enjoying the process! Lastly, what do you like to do in your free time?
I love to do film photography, which is why I’m carrying this film camera. It’s my dad’s old one, from way before I was born. It’s still working and he has passed it to me to play with. It’s been so fun! The photos I’ve taken are actually how I got into NAFA in the first place. I really love the feeling of the mechanism moving when the film winds. I just think there’s a physical aspect to film photography that can’t be conveyed with a digital camera.