Bloodied Backyard Of Alien Bar

After this feature, I had "swore" to myself: "No More Blood!" (which of course my next feature needed a bit of)


Rudimentary fake-blood was concocted from colored cordial/syrup, water-colored paints, Ribena and other food/beverage items I have plain forgotten. The trick was that they have to be washed out immediately after the shoot wrapped for that location, as well as pliable enough to be washed out in-between takes. The possibility of staining the existing floor tiles had to be kept to a minimal. No one concocts fake blood in Singapore, dammit.

At one point in the shoot, as Harry laid down on the ground, thoroughly soaked in sticky-fake-blood, while the crew did their next set-up, both Djinn and I were discussing how the blood-pool was going to flow, when we heard a slight snore. "Harry" (the poor chap) was so tired, he had actually fallen asleep! ... We hadn't the heart to wake him up, until of course when the camera was ready to roll.


(Above-right) The blood-orgy-shot. Both Djinn and I had wanted more blood, but reckon in the end it might've been over-kill. (which was a good thing, because I had only that one pail of blood we made! Yes, I made a PAIL'S WOTRTH OF BLOOD LOL) ... Imagine washing them away for the next shot ... before the rain poured - now, THAT'S another 'on-shoot superstition story' for another time!

About That Alien Bar Backroom Altar

Getting the Altar Table for the backyard of "Alien Bar" was quite a daunting task. The budget had not permitted the opportunity of purchasing one, at the same time props-rental houses were charging an exorbitant rate (once you mention "feature film", folks' eyes and cash registers light up). And "borrowing" from existing folks' homes was a superstitious no-no (where are they gonna put their deity as we shot our feature?).


I was insistant on having an altar table (foreshadowing-sequence), so second-hand furniture dealers (actually rubbish-collectors) was my final recourse. Managed to find one within a few days in decent condition and a great price. We darkened the wood-stain a tad and left the knocks and wonky bits in.


A bloodied Harry stumbles and knocks into the altar table, mayhap angering the Gods with his unintended action. A foreshadowing to the inevitable outcome, I reckon. On hindsight, the back of the wall of the altar should have been "dirtier", from all the smoke and soot from the joss-sticks.

BTW: the Altar with the Guan Gong-deity statue was actually from Harry's house! Small-budget feature = RECYCLE!

Aaaahhh yes, the "magic" of "movie-making" ... :p

Behind The Velvet Curtains / Back Of Alien Bar

This location shown is the Clan Association along Geylang, with exquisite pre-war Peranakan-styled floor mosaics, who could resist? Also from the script, there would be an intense fight/struggle between Harry and The Poet and the floor would be seen predominately. Again an image of both the figures and the floor harken back to the 1970's feel. The utilitarian plastic-moulded chairs is a staple in Singapore, be it for celebratory functions or funerals, ageless for us, IMHO.


We treat our sponsors well :). filled to the brim with "subtle" (NOT) posters and paraphenalia, including subliminal travel posters urging folks to go for a vacation in Perth (I have this peppered throughout the film, actually), instilling the dream-like state and desire for which lingers on the back of Harry's mind (Props goes out to Muse for creating those graphics).


The existing wooden-wall panelling was perfect for the "lost in 70's"-fell I was gunning for in the film ... We still haven't figured out what the poster says tho.

The crew mucking about on my set while i snap a continuity-image, waiting for a set-up. The dude grabbing his butt (gawd knows why) should be Simon, our Spark/Grip, with Kim (our 1st A/D) enjoying the floorshow.


Well, "when in Rome" ...

The Velvet Curtains Of Alien Bar

The "Alien Bar" (name in script) was actually two-locations-in-one, with the (sleazy) Karaoke-lounge actual in the middle of Little India, Singapore, whilst the "backyard and office" scenes set in a Clan Association in the middle of Singapore's famous "red light district"; Geylang (go figure).

The story had both Harry and Selvam passing thru the the KTV-Lounge to the office of the Big Boss out back and I had devised a velvet curtain as a faux transition between the two separate locations, complete with kitschy plastic-"crystal" curtains, in keeping within my hark-back to the 1970's feel i had planned and permeated throughout the film.

The curtain was then transported unto the following location at the Clan Association in Geylang. (which has since been defiled used by a coupla more features, including my 6th, Rice Rhapsody!)


The actual corridor here led to an emergency exit out back to an alley (which were used predominately for smoke-breaks) and the lockers were existing items, for which the staff had used. so all it needed was a bit of tidying up (the carpeting reeked tho). On the left-of-image were the restrooms/toilets and what you do not see were the muck that was left there (basically folks who'd had a tad too much to drink went and eased themselves, both ways...)