Internet, social media can be terrifying: Singaporean director Kelvin Tong
Local director Kelvin Tong, one of the pioneers in making horror films in Singapore, has found an unusual inspiration for his upcoming thriller — the Internet.
The homegrown filmmaker was speaking to Yahoo Singapore about his upcoming film “Email”, which will be his first Hollywood-produced movie.
The 41-year-old said that people’s obsession with the Internet and social media makes it a good subject matter for a scary movie.
“I was looking for a theme to ground my next horror film when I noticed that everyone around me —in the train, in restaurants, on the streets — was glued to his or her iPhone or iPad... whenever something goes wrong with something so prevalent and ubiquitous, it cannot help but be terrifying,” the director-producer explained.
As for himself, Tong revealed that he’s actually a “technophobe”.
“I prefer face-to-face conversations rather than emailing, smsing or whatsapping someone. During meal times, I am the one frowning at fellow diners who prefer the company of their devices to that of a fellow human being,” the soft-spoken director said.
That said, Tong added he’s “awed by the power and hold the Internet has on people.”
Features Hollywood stars
“Email” will star Hollywood actress Nikki Reed, playing the character of young journalist Thea Hartley.
Hartley travels to Singapore to investigate the mysterious circumstances of her sister’s death and discovers a string of bizarre killings involving a cursed email.
Along the way she meets Ted, a technology reporter, and together they face supernatural forces and unravel a mysterious conspiracy far bigger than they expected.
Tong said that one of his producers, Jason Shuman, also the one who brought Hong Kong’s Pang brothers to Hollywood with “Bangkok Dangerous” and “The Messengers”, told him to check out Reed in her debut film “Thirteen.”
“I knew Nikki’s work from the Twilight franchise but when I saw Thirteen, I was blown away by her range and grit,” Tong enthused.
Hence, the two of them agreed that she would be perfect for their film.
As for the rest of the cast, Tong said that there would be a supporting role that would be cast from Hollywood. Apart from that, the rest of the cast would consist of Singaporeans.
Showcasing Singapore to the world
Tong also revealed that “Email” would be shot entirely in Singapore.
“I hope Email will showcase Singapore’s sights and sounds to an international audience and also show that we are a great location for international films,” the homegrown filmmaker said.
He added, “We will be shooting in a blend of both new and old places in Singapore. Ultra-contemporary locations like Biopolis will feature in “Email” as the film revolves around technology. Ultra-Singaporean places like Little India, Chinatown and colonial bungalows will also be featured as they showcase our culture, sights and sounds superbly.”
The local director also expressed pride in being part of Singapore’s film industry.
“The Singapore film scene is very exciting. It shows great promise with filmmakers such as Anthony Chen winning international awards. It’s a great place to be making films right now,” Tong said.
He revealed that the filming for “Email” would start in the middle of the year and his team is looking at releasing the movie in the first quarter of 2015 earliest.
‘I love horror films’
The 41-year-old also told Yahoo Singapore about his passion for horror films.
“I think fear is a primal emotion and I’ve always been intrigued at what makes people frightened. At the end of the day, take away the sudden cuts and screeching violins and horror films are essentially human dramas,” Tong said.
The “The Maid” director also said that it’s “technically very demanding” to make horror films.
“A lot of work needs to be put into a horror film because these days, horror film fans are among the most discerning and demanding audiences in the world. It’s very very difficult to make an original horror film as there have been so many,” Tong added.
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