How Eric Khoo works around censorship in S’pore
Strict censorship, cuts and rating have been some common complaints about the film industry in Singapore.
However, to acclaimed Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo, censorship here has been "very progressive".
And, there are always ways to work around it, he said, drawing from his more than 15 years of experience in this industry.
"Definitely if we're talking about censorship here, we're very progressive," said Khoo, in an interview with Yahoo! Singapore on Wednesday.
He recalled the uproar when 15, a youth gangster film he produced with fellow filmmaker Royston Tan, was released in 2003 with 27 cuts and an R(A) rating.
"Singapore is improving drastically, that's why I was so happy that 23:59 got a PG13 (rating)... we're growing up and very fast," he said. 23:59 is an army-horror film directed by upcoming filmmaker Gilbert Chan.
"A lot of it has to do with diplomacy; you have to be smart about it," he added.
Before embarking on 23:59, Khoo casually asked a Singapore Armed Forces colonel whether he would have difficulties producing a ghost movie that was set in Pulau Tekong.
The answer: just don't credit the Defence Ministry or ask them for support.
Khoo heeded the advice and the film was released without a hitch and obtained a PG13 rating.
"At the end of the day, it's all about telling a good story," he said. "If you want to cover controversial ground, so be it. It's about how smart you're going to be and what you want to do, and how you tell it."
"If you're a good storyteller, you can tell a good story that's a G-rated film, versus a film that could be banned," he continued.
Responding to naysayers who complain about the cost of producing a film, he noted that technology has developed in unprecedented ways so anyone to shoot and produce a film.
"Technology has progressed really far. You don't use or make an excuse out of it," he said. "If you want to make a film, you can do it with your iPhone," he added.
Khoo challenged, "If you want to do it, you've got the talent, do it. Prove it to the world. And if you're good enough, you can... you don't have to be afraid. Don't give me that whole 'I cannot do this'; it's an excuse."
Khoo was speaking to Yahoo! Singapore after an hour-long workshop for budding filmmakers.
It was held in conjunction with science-fiction and fantasy channel Syfy Universal's short film competition entitled "Syfy Shorts". More information about the competition can be found here.
He also shared that he will be working on two feature films next year -- one of which is another paranormal film about a bewitched miscarriaged baby, and the other being a drama on capital punishment, which he hopes to obtain funds for from Rotterdam.
He says he has plans to start shooting the horror film in February.
