Lights! Camera! Action! The three iconic words which have become too much of a trite cliché in the world of film, or at least we correlate it as such. It is uncertain to what extent such a line is used among professionals, but those of us who have ever helmed a home movie would testify to saying it at least one (maybe just for fun), even though there are no lights, and no... well, there is a camera.

The inter-house movie competition takes place every year during the months of May and June. Throughout this arduous time frame, students from all four houses compete to produce three three-minute movies revolving around the same title. But the challenge doesn’t stop there – each movie should be of a different genre, namely comedy, tear-jerker (a sad flick) and spine-tingler (horror). Call it extreme home movies; call it mini-Hollywood; call it dilettante film-making on steroids – whatever you wish, it’s one crazily-anticipated event.

With the title ‘Silk,’ this year’s slew of movies promise a lot of laughter, screams and maybe one or two tears. But behind the stellar movies produced, which as always, raised the bar to another all time high, presented for you is a little more insight into why film-making is no walk in the park, no piece of cake, or any other overused idiom of your choice.

Please Start Laughing

The common misconception when it comes to producing comedies is the paradigm that “we just make people fall and beat the living daylights out of each other.” Immediately, film critics and popcorn junkies alike will scream out slapstick! As much as a little ridicule and inanity is good for brainless chuckle, there is such a thing as too much. With that in mind, it was a mission for all movie captains, or at least yours truly, to attempt to come up with something more substantial and witty.

Actual humour, in other words. How much of a success it was is up to your judgement, but all four comedies produced this year seem to have done a spectacular job. From references to the new seat belt law and Happy Hour, parodies of reality TV shows with their colourful and possibly effeminate contestants, butlers in denial and desperate sale attempts, it was a bundle of laughs, giggles, and sometimes random incoherent brilliance.

Suspense... Scream!

There is nothing more thrilling and entertaining than to sit with your friends and watch a horror movie. Also, there is nothing more terrifying than sitting alone and possibly having to change your pants at the end of a horror movie. With both in mind, the horror flicks churned out this year gave a wide array of thrills and scares. There is a fine line between being horrifying and being scarily ridiculous, yet all movies managed to (as intended) send shivers down one’s spine. Yours truly even found himself temporarily immobile at the chill of a certain laugh, demented excitement, and who could forget, a phone ring – a ring that would probably make you never want to answer your phone again.
Aaaaaahhhh!

Down to Tears

Ever watched a story and felt nearly suicidal at the end? That’s depression kicking in. The feeling of melancholy and hopelessness after watching something tragic on screen. Of all the emotions one can evoke, sadness to tears is definitely the hardest. Because, you know, humans are all cold heartless machines incapable of emotion.

The formula for a sad film, as it would seem, is to create a likable character, allow the audience to relate with that character, and have something tragic happen to the said character. Eureka! From tragic romances, to noble sacrifices, to coping with the loss of a friend and trying to find hope and meaning before leaving this planet, the four touching movies will probably not send you into fountains of tears because three minutes is too short a time! (as all four captains complained), but they surely will, at the very least, leave you thinking and pondering.

A whole lot of thinking.

And the winner is...

After all four houses completed their submissions, and judges having reviewed and scored the movies, the Cempaka Movie Awards was held to announce the winner, and subsequently end the race to the First House Cup. This year saw history as Rumah Helang swept almost all the awards, including all three best movies.

However, after being through days and weeks of mental torture writing a script, days of filming, acting and laughing at one’s own blunders, nights of endless film editing and soundtrack production, not to mention the cups and cups of coffee – it doesn’t matter who wins anymore.

The beauty of this competition juxtaposed with any other is that it leaves you with the fondest of memories. Whether you decide to coin touching or hilarious words, or play them out into life and disappear into a character; if you choose to be behind the camera or in the cutting room; if you opt to add mood and atmosphere making music with soaring violins, the prominent grand piano or the like – whatever you do, the feeling of seeing the end product flaunted across the big screen... is just all worth it in the end.