Reaction after watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Kylo Ren's reaction watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Yes, go watch it. It's that good!

Everything you want to know about Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Let me answer the following frequently asked questions about Star Wars: The Force Awakens (TFA) the best I can without revealing too much.

Q: Where is the best cinema to watch TFA?
A: Some scenes in the movie was shot using 70mm IMAX cameras. I would recommend to watch it in IMAX 3D. Please note that although TFA (at least a few scenes of it) was filmed using IMAX, the movie was not shot using IMAX 3D cameras. If you don't fancy 3D, then the next best one has to be GV Max with its 22.4m wide screen, one of the widest screens in Asia.

Q: Is Finn a Jedi?
A: No. He is a Stormtrooper who decided being the bad guy is not his thing and ends up with the good guys.

Q: Finn is holding the famed Anakin/Luke Skywalker lightsaber. Is he Luke's son?
A:  Just because one is shown using the lightsaber, doesn't mean he is a Jedi or Luke's son. FYI in TFA, Anakin/Luke's lightsaber was used by more than one person.

Q: Are there Jedis and Siths in TFA?
A: TFA happened some 30 years or so after Return Of The Jedi. And the Siths are no longer around after Darth Vader and the Emperor were killed in Return Of The Jedi. There are bad guys in TFA. Some who are strong in the Dark Side but they are not Sith Lords. The remaining Jedi is Luke.

Q: Is Luke a bad guy in TFA?
A: No. And he is not Kylo Ren.

Q: Will someone die in TFA?
A: Someone important always die in the beginning of the original Star Wars trilogy and the prequels. Obi Wan in New Hope and Qui-Gon in Phantom Menace. The same will happen in TFA.

Q: Is Luke in TFA?
A: Yes Luke Skywalker is in the movie but those of you who are watching TFA because of Luke, you will be disappointed because he has very little screen time.

Q: Will we meet the new Skywalker?
A: Star Wars has always been a Skywalker family movie. The original trilogy is about Luke. The prequels is about his dad Anakin. And TFA and the next two movies will be about the new Skywalker family member.

Q: Are Kylo Ren and Rey both twins?
A:  No.

Q: Why is Kylo Ren's lightsaber so unstable and strange?
A: His lightsaber is an ancient design and the cracked Kyber crystal he uses is the cause of the ragged and unstable appearance of his lightsaber.

Q: What's the deal with BB-8?
A: BB-8 plays the important droid role that R2-D2 played in Star Wars: A New Hope. He is Poe Dameron's droid and sits on his X-Wing.

Q: Is there a post credits scene like they did in those Marvel movies?
A: No mid credits or post credits scene in TFA.

Q: Is Darth Vader back?
A: Vader died at the end of Return Of The Jedi. Vader's burnt mask is in the movie. It is part of Kylo Ren's collection.

Q: Will we see everything we saw in the trailers appear in the movie?
A: There are few scenes shown in the trailers that did not make it to the final cut of TFA.

Q: Did Disney do the right thing in getting JJ Abrams to helm the movie?
A: I think JJ did a great job on TFA. Some of the shots are visually spectacular. The casting is spot on. There were some good acting in TFA. The dialogues are good and not as cheesy as the older Star Wars movies but TFA is not a perfect film. But then again, no Star Wars film is perfect. Hardcore Star Wars fans would want much more from TFA but hopefully we will get more from the next episode.

Q: Can someone who has never watch Star Wars enjoy TFA?
A: It helps if you know a bit of what happened in Episodes 1 to 6 but TFA is very friendly towards newbies.

Q: How do you compare TFA with all the previous Star Wars movies?
A: I would say TFA is like a rebooted/remade Star Wars: A New Hope which is not a bad thing. 

How to build Kylo Ren Crossguard Lightsaber from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Learn how to build a mini Kylo Ren Crossguard Lightsaber using a Darth Vader light up lightsaber chopstick and a few cheap items you can get from your discount and arts store. Special thanks to very awesome and talented custom toy maker Reeve Tan, Head Master from Spartan Brigade Academy.

Win the 2 Kylo Ren Lightsabers in this video. Answer this simple question and email to r3loadnetworksg@gmail.com with your contact details.

Question: Who is Kylo Ren's father?

2 lucky winners will each win the Kylo Ren mini lightsaber and tickets to watch Star Wars The Force Awakens. Contest is only for viewers in Singapore! Deadline is on 17 December, 11.59 pm.

Courts Singapore make online shoppers queue for Black Friday deals

I didn't know one must queue to do online shopping on Black Friday. The message on Courts website says: "Due to high traffic demand, we are putting you on queue now to bring you a better shopping experience. Thank you for your kind understanding."

Some crazy Singaporeans want Adam Lambert out of New Year Countdown Concert

Nabeh lah to those of you who don't want Adam Lambert to perform in Singapore for Mediacorp's New Year countdown concert. What the F is wrong with you? You people deserve to watch Teletubbies instead on NYE! Adam, I love you! Will always remember the way you touched my back. Ahem.

Star Wars The Force Awakens: Awaken The Force inside Me

Every hardcore Star Wars fanboy deserves his own Star Wars The Force Awakens movie poster right? Hehe. The Force is strong in me.

Star Wars The Force Awakens: Kylo, Rey Skywalker ancestry and is Vader back?

Here's the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer. It's so damn good. I'm so happy watching it that I cried. Some interesting notes after watching this many times. Listen carefully at 58 sec. Was that Darth Vader's heavy breathing that I'm hearing in the background when Kylo Ren was speaking? If so, will Vader be back? If not in The Force Awakens maybe the next film?

Regarding Kylo, we know from JJ Abrams that he is not a Sith. At least not yet. I believe he is from a Darth Vader cult of some sort. He and Rey could also be siblings. Both are likely the son and daughter of Han Solo and Leia. And that means both are Force sensitive like Leia's brother Luke Skywalker.

Talking about Luke, it's interesting that we don't see him in the movie poster or in the trailer. We do see someone with a robotic hand touching R2D2 in the trailer. He's in the movie of course but I bet he will only appear at the end to teach Rey and Finn the way of the Force.

I believe Finn is also Force sensitive. He may be a Stormtrooper before but he clearly is on the good side as we can see from the trailer. He even wields what looks like Luke Skywalker/Anakin's lightsaber. Some are speculating that Finn could be a Skywalker. I doubt it but he and Rey, the two young leads of this movie will be Jedis by the start of the next Star Wars film.

I cannot wait to find out what JJ has in store for us. Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in Singapore on December 17 2015.

When Kid meets Kylo Ren and his Crossguard Lightsaber

What happens when a kid meets Kylo Ren the new baddie from Star Wars The Force Awakens? Judging by how mesmerized he was with the crossguard lightsaber, I think he's joining the Dark Side when he grows up.

Floating Back To The Future II DeLorean Time Machine

Kids Logic DeLorean Time Machine Magnetic Floating Edition features a special magnetic base which allows the DeLorean with magnets to stay afloat while it rotates. It also comes with LED lights. So cool, I ordered one!

STGCC 2015: The Bumblebee Cosplay

Remelyn on how she and her friends help to make this awesome Bumblebee costume that she proudly showed off at Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015. The costume was modeled after Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen movie. Made from high quality foam, it took 4 people 4 months to complete it.

This is a bonus video as part of our Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015 coverage. Watch the full STGCC 2015 Special video here.

STGCC 2015: Avengers vs Ultron Sentry Diorama

The battle between the Avengers and the Ultron Sentries in Avengers: Age of Ultron movie is recreated in this 1/6th scale diorama by Hot Toys.

This is a bonus video as part of our Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015 coverage. Watch the full STGCC 2015 Special video here.

STGCC 2015: Hulk vs Hulkbuster Life-Sized Diorama

One of the highlights of Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015 is the life-sized statues of Hulkbuster vs Hulk from Hot Toys. This astonishing display was shown in the Southeast Asia region for the first time ever to allow fans to immerse themselves in one of the most talked about moments in the Avengers: Age of Ultron movie.

This is a bonus video as part of our Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015 coverage. Watch the full STGCC 2015 Special video here.

STGCC 2015: Hot Toys Iron Man Mark XLV

The movie-accurate Hot Toys Iron Man Mark XLV Collectible Figure is highly detailed and sophisticatedly crafted based on the image of the armor in Avengers: Age of Ultron movie featuring a meticulously sculpted armored body, specially applied metallic red, gold and silver colored paint with weathered effects, LED light-up Arc Reactor with hexagonal-shaped indent on chest, and a specially designed diorama base with a detachable damaged Ultron Sentry (Prime)!

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tony Stark donned the brand new Mark XLV armor for the Avengers’ final showdown with Ultron!

This is a bonus video as part of our Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015 coverage. Watch the full STGCC 2015 Special video here.

Glam Shot of Me and My New Hair Colour

Haven't had a nice professionally taken mug shot of me with my new hair colour so here's one.

SGHAZE 2015: Welcome to Singapore Airpocalypse!

Welcome to Singapore Airpocalypse! Just when we thought the haze in Singapore was gone during the F1 weekend, it is back again, this time, it looks even worse. Here's a video of the SG Haze shot during 2 days (including today) when Singapore was hit by its worst haze so far in 2015 due to forest and land fires in parts of Indonesia. The haze is set to remain until November because of the dry spell caused by the El Nino effect. Looks like we have to keep our masks on till November. Sucks!

Miss Singapore TV 2015 Final Episode: The Grand Finals

Final episode of Miss Singapore TV season 2015. It's the Grand Finals of Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant 2015! Join the girls in their final journey to become Miss Singapore. Thanks to all the finalists, supporters, sponsors, everyone who made the Grand Finals possible and of course ERM. You can watch all 7 episodes of Miss Singapore TV 2015 on ERM Singapore's YouTube channel. Miss Singapore TV season 2015 was directed by yours truly. The episodes were shot on Canon C100 MKII and Panasonic GH4. Enjoy the episode and the following pics.

STGCC 2015: Hot Toys Kylo Ren and First Order Stormtroopers

Kylo Ren from Hot Toys Star Wars: The Force Awakens collection. Kylo Ren is a dark warrior strong with the Force with a unique self-made crossguard lightsaber.

The highly-accurate 1/6th scale collectible figure is specially crafted based on the image of Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It features Kylo Ren’s helmet with weathering effects, meticulously crafted layers of outfit, the character’s signature crossguard lightsaber with LED light-up function and weathering effects, and a specially designed hexagonal figure stand with the First Order’s emblem!

Also in this video: The new look First Order Stormtroopers from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

After the Battle of Endor in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and the fall of the Galactic Empire, a new organization called the First Order has come to power and employs the use of Stormtroopers to execute its orders.

The highly-accurate collectible figures of the First Order Stormtrooper Squad Leader, First Order Heavy Gunner Stormtrooper and First Order Stormtrooper are specially crafted based on the image of the Stormtroopers in Star Wars: The Force Awakens featuring the brand new designed Stormtrooper armor and helmet, highly detailed weapons, and a specially designed hexagonal figure stand with the First Order’s emblem!

This is a bonus video as part of Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015 coverage. Watch the full STGCC 2015 Special video here.

STGCC 2015: Hot Toys Ant-Man and Yellowjacket

This movie accurate 1/6th scale Ant-Man Collectible Figure by Hot Toys is specially crafted based on the Ant-Man film featuring a newly developed helmeted head sculpt with authentic likeness of Paul Rudd as Scott Lang in the movie and LED light-up function when helmet is closed, specially tailored Ant-Man suit, an Ant-Man miniature figure, detailed accessories and a specially designed figure stand. Also in this video is the 1/6th scale figure of Ant-Man's nemesis Yellowjacket!

This is a bonus clip as part of Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015 coverage. Watch the full STGCC 2015 Special video here.

STGCC 2015: Old Boy Steampunk Iron Man

Reeve from Imperial Studio (Singapore) on how he made this super cool, post apocalyptic Iron Man with Tony Stark, now an old man with a blinded eye. Old Boy was built and modified using the Hot Toys Silver Centurion figure as the base.

The whole process took about 3 months to complete. The initial concept design phase took about 1 month to come up with the final look. After the concept design was done, it was down to getting the parts and gears to the right scale before putting everything together. And another important part was taking the young Tony Stark headsculpt out from the helmet and resculpting it to reflect an elderly man look.

This is a bonus clip as part of Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015 coverage. Watch the full STGCC 2015 Special video here. 

Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention 2015 Special

The annual Singapore Toy Game Comic Convention is here again. Held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center over 2 days, STGCC 2015 juiced up the pop culture universe with offerings from the worlds of toys, games, comics, anime, manga and collectibles.

Watch this STGCC 2015 Special as we bring you the sights and sounds of STGCC with exclusive interviews with star guests Agnes Garbowska, C.B. Cebulski and Jason Freeny. We also speak to Imperial Studio, a Star Wars cosplay family from Rebel Legion and the person behind the awesome Bumblebee cosplay.

STGCC 2015 Special is directed by IZ Darson and produced by R3LOAD Network. Thanks CB Cebulski, Agnes Garbowska, Jason Freeny, Audrey Lim, Low Hui, Reeve Tan, Katherine Aiko, Jasline Marie Mossadeg and everyone else that made it to this video. See you next year at STGCC 2016!

Miss Singapore TV 2015 Episode 2: Flashmob + 23 finalists' first public appearance

Miss Singapore TV season 2015 episode 2 is out! Watch and share. Thanks! (Note: Unfortunately, this episode is not playable on mobile phones. Watch it on your computer.) On this episode, watch the finalists of Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant 2015 raise money for VSA, then the girls do their dance flash mob, show off their talent in the Talent segment and wow the audience at OneKM mall at their Fashion Showcase. Here are some photos.













More pics here: MSBP 2015 Fashion Show and MSBP 2015 VSA Charity Event albums on Flickr.

Drumming to Sweet Child on National Day

"Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place. Where as a child I'd hide. And pray for the thunder and the rain. To quietly pass me by." Here's the full video of me on the drums playing Sweet Child supported by the female Axl Rose on vocals during our National Day party talent show.

Miss Singapore TV 2015 Ep 1: Swimwear Photoshoot at Bintan Agro Beach Resort

Here's episode 1 of Miss Singapore TV season 2015. I had a fantastic time shooting this ep with the girls at ‪Bintan Agro Beach Resort‬. Had 3 days of footage to go through to cut this episode and sleepless nights of post production work. I hope the final product captured the fun and memories we had at Bintan.

In keeping with tradition started with Mrs Singapore TV 2015, I used the slightly edited Miss Singapore TV commercial that I shot starring the reigning queens Tammy Ng, Siyamala Vasavan and Jasmine Chye for the title sequence for Miss Singapore TV 2015.

I would like to thank ERM for organising the trip - boss Angela Tay and my Bang Bang Bang sisters, the very hardworking Jacqueline Wong, Xue Ting and Florence Lai, Walter Soh for the comedic moments on this ep, the very nice people at Bintan Agro Beach Resort for accommodating us and feeding us, Sindo Ferry - without them we had to swim to Bintan, friends at The Makeover Inc - Brenda Goh, Xuanz Tang, Lih Ming, the Vintage Studio boys Jeremy Soh, Ang Vincent and Gary Oliver and the lovely bloggers Mary Jane Tauyan Fitzsimmons and Ng Meishu.

And of course not forgetting the finalists of Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant 2015. You gals are the real stars of the show. Love you all. Enjoy episode 1 and the following pics and a bonus video found at the end of this post of me partying with the girls and crew on our last night in Bintan.

Inside the Surprise Cave, Halong Bay

You must not miss a visit to Surprise Cave when you are at Halong Bay, Vietnam. At 12,200 square meters large, the magnificent cave has three compartments and a high ceiling with lots of stalactites in various shapes. The ceiling’s maximal height is 30 meters. Surprise Cave is decorated with stalactites like colorful chandeliers and the floor with plenty of rocks in diverse shapes of elephant, horse to tree, leaves, and flowers.

Panasonic G7 makes a great B-Cam for GH4

The new Panasonic G7's 4K footage is incredibly identical to GH4 and it is evident in this video shot using both cameras in CineD and then given a final grade. The G7 makes a good B-Cam for the GH4. Can you tell which is which? Watch it in 4K.

Miss Singapore "Walk Like A Beauty Queen" TVC Outtakes

Here are selected outtakes from Miss Singapore "Walk Like A Beauty Queen" TV commercial. The TVC aired on Mediacorp Channel 5 in Singapore. Shot using Canon EOS C100 Mark II and DJI Ronin.



And here's the final product. Watch the Miss Singapore Walk Like a Beauty Queen 15 secs TVC.

Indian newspaper calls me a National Celebrity

A fan from India sent me a newspaper article about me and my show Singapore Haunted (Do like us on Facebook). I remember giving an interview to the reporter 2 years ago but I never did get to read the finished story. Here's the article 2 years late but I'm very touched that the fan still sent it to me.



From the article:

Superstitious Singaporeans love a ghost story. From jilted lovers’ suicides to wartime executions, they are driving a business of exorcism and reality shows. “We get 10 to 30 emails from viewers each week, telling us about their paranormal experiences,” says IZ Darson, Producer of ‘Singapore Haunted’, a popular web TV series featuring paranormal investigators who explore the City-State’s “most haunted” locations.

He says three out of five Singaporeans believe in supernatural phenomena, including himself of late. “My investigations have totally changed my perception. I’ve been touched, I chased after shadows, I had things thrown at me, I’ve heard voices. I’m now a believer,” he says.

His online channel draws an average audience of 200,000 for its weekly show, and has made him a national celebrity.

Halong Bay: Beauty. Mystic. Paradise.

"Experience breathtaking beauty. Like no other. Where dragons descent into the sea. Creating a rock wonder that reaches out to the sky. Experience paradise. Halong Bay, Vietnam." Halong Bay: Beauty. Mystic. Paradise is written and directed by yours truly.

Halong Bay, a popular tourist destination in Vietnam, includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. It is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and it is also one of New Seven Natural Wonders of the world.

My edit of BigBang's Loser music video

Here's my cut of Loser by BIGBANG. Loser is the first single from MADE, the third studio album by Big Bang. It marks their comeback after a 3-year hiatus. Watch it. I think it's a better edit than the original :op

Spinning Hyperlapse Selfie at Ginza, Tokyo

Me spinning round and round outside Ginza station in Tokyo, Japan.

Transformers 4 Cars In Action hits 1 Million Views on YouTube

One million views! One million views! Thanks for watching this.

GH4 4K Photo Mode: Mrs Singapore 2015 Winners

GH4's 4K Photo mode allows the user to capture a high resolution 4K photo by cropping out a designated frame out of its 4K video. While filming Mrs Singapore 2015 Grand Final, I switched to the 4K Photo mode to try out its 4K photo capabilities. Watch the 4K video above of all the Mrs Singapore 2015 winners on stage.



You can view the high resolution photo grabbed from the 4K video on Flickr. Click the Download icon on the Flickr page and view the Original (3328 x 2496) photo. Pretty good, I have to say. Above is the smaller resolution pic.

Danny Koh Fire Illusionist in 96 FPS Slow Motion

Danny Koh, one of Singapore’s fastest rising stars of magic and Asia’s premier fire illusionist, performed at Mrs Singapore 2015 Grand Final. Here's him in action in slow motion captured using GH4 in 96fps and SmallHD DP7Pro LCD for monitoring.

Like Birds Like That - Mrs Singapore 2015 TVC Outtake

Here's an outtake from Mrs Singapore 2015 TVC that I directed. The commercial recently aired for a week on Channel 5. In this scene, Audrey Lim and her husband bring their kids across the steps at the playground. To encourage the kids, we had Jac standing at the other end with some treats. You can spot her hands in this wide shot and if you listen closely enough, you can even hear her say to the kids: "Biscuits! Biscuits!"

Photos: Majestic Beach in Krabi, Thailand

Some photographs I took in Krabi, Thailand.

50 Shades Of Grey in 1 Minute

Everyone is talking about the new movie Fifty Shades Of Grey. Just awhile ago I thought of an idea. Fifty Shades Of Grey In 1 Minute. Literally. Warning: The following contains scenes so grey that some viewers may find disturbing. LOL! Happy Valentine's Day everybody!

The busy streets of Hanoi Old Quarter in slow motion

Vietnam's famous Hanoi Old Quarter has 36 old streets buzzing with activity! Scooters, bicycles, cars and people all packed the streets from morning to night. I took out the GH4 and the Voigtlander Nokton 17.5mm lens to slow things down a bit. During my first time in Hanoi, the roads and traffic really shocked me. I have never seen so many scooters and motorbikes in my life! It took me awhile to master crossing the streets and roads in Hanoi. Like playing a video game. And now I'm a champ.

Canon EOS C100 Mark II Slow Motion Special Recording

Recently I shot with the new Canon EOS C100 Mark II for a TV commercial. Although there are no slow motion shots for the TVC, I've been testing the slow motion capabilities of the C100 MK II which now allows you to shoot in-camera 60P slow motion using a special recording function.



Above is video I did explaining how to record 60P slow motion in-camera using the Canon EOS C100 Mark II Special Recording.



And another video that compares 60P slow motion in-camera vs slow motion did in post. So how good is Canon EOS C100 Mark II 60p Slow Motion Special Recording? Based on my tests, slow motion via post (shooting in 60P and then converting to 25P in post) gives slightly better image quality.

Happy New Year from Halong Bay, Vietnam!