What does Cherating Syndrome mean?
Now... that will be a spoiler, wouldn't it?

Cherating Syndrome is a romantic short film which will be shot in Cherating, Pahang in August 2016. With the cast and crew we have put together, we believe that Cherating Syndrome will be both a visually, and emotionally powerful - and sweet! - film. While image and poetic dialouges is planned in great detail to convey the subjective emotional journey of the main character, the actors will be given the freedom to improvise over scripted dialogue, contributing to the fresh, heartfelt and playful tone we want the film to have. 

The Message For everyone, life has never been easy, but what makes your life worth living is that how you look at everything that happens to you, regardless of it being good or bad. Our message throughout this film is simple:  stay positive, but why such a common message? Well, just because the simplicity allows it to be overlooked, we still believed that the events in life, your experience, is what makes everyone of us a unique individuals, whether it leads you to a totally different journey, making you grow, or simply forcing you down a hole. We own it, that is why we have to make it worth. Because who knows? In one second you are fired, but the next you actually get to experience your own life instead of fighting a better life for your boss, you might have the chance to visit the coffee shop that you liked down that street but you missed it just to rush to work back then, who knows? As quoted in Forrest Gump: Life is like a box of chocolate, so live it, make it worth, stay positive and be sure to appreciate every single thing!

Cherating Syndrome will be shot using Sony A7S, since it gives us the ability to shoot in multiple natural lighting situations, since we will be shooting mostly outdoors. It also gives us  the flexibility in adjusting the tone and mood of the film with color grading during post. Most of the camera shots will be handheld like motion, as if it's floating and almost lifelike. This will give an impression as if we're closer to the characters and giving a stronger audience to character connection.

A screenshot from the film Safe Haven(2013) directed by Lasse Hallström

The look of the film will mostly be intimate camera shots, like the reference above from the film Safe Haven. As the story focuses on the internal stuggle of the main character Alisha. With controlled color palette, the look will bring a fresh cinematic experience to the audience.

THE TEAM

Budgeting - always the life-and-death element of the creative industry. Funds is indeed necessary to produce a work of excellence and we are here to convince you to put your faith and investment in us. In order to capture the positive vibes and tranquil landscapes for complimenting the story, our team, consisting of fifteen casts and crews, will be shooting in Cherating, Pahang. Therefore, we're hoping to raise RM 10,000 for this crowdfunding event as we will get one step closer in having this exciting short film to materialise. 

Why do we need you to help us?

The shoot starts very soon and we still need RM 10,000.00 for the film to be 100% financed.

Making independent film is hard everywhere, but shooting here in Cherating, we will be facing some particularly challenging issues. Since the shoot will be fully shot outdoor, we will have to depend a lot on the weather. As we based in Johor Bahru, we travel from Johor Bahru to Desaru (for some additional shots), Kuala Lumpur and Cherating. We will be mostly spending on our logistics and accomodations.

We have decided that in the middle of Malaysia's east coast, where people come and go for the good vibes and beautiful beaches with stories and memories, it is more important than ever to make art, to make film, and to tell stories that took place here in Cherating. We therefore want to make a film that could be shot in one solid week, with a few locations, a couple of actors, and a small crew.

We have cut the budget to the bone, and in spite of the ecomony crisis in Malaysia, some close friends are willing to chip in and even volunteer to work together with us, which we are very grateful for! Our amazing crew and cast have lowered their fees to be able to do this film, and we have secured all post-production costs with our collaborated partners, who understands the value of supporting independent filmmaking. That means, as soon as we wrap, the post-production is already financed and the film will be ready for festivals early next year.