Within 2020, when the nation was at the height of battling Covid-19 and went into complete lockdown, a team of Malaysians emerged together to embark on a project that turned out to be both challenging as well as rewarding.
They will wanted to showcase Kuala Lumpur like no one had seen prior to – through drone aerial shots taken in 8K resolution.
It was the very first time something like this had been recorded in Malaysia and South-East Asian countries.
That hard work initiated by Movie Edge Sdn Bhd resulted in a gorgeous, almost seven-minute, drone movie that reminds Malaysians here and overseas of the beauty of our capital city.
Titled AirPixel 8K Kuala Lumpur Drone Film, Negaraku , it is available on the company’s YouTube channel.
In the description portion of the video, it’s mentioned: “With worries regarding the pandemic weighing on our minds, we hope this particular drone film sends uplifting positive vibes across the nation.
“We hope it could showcase the beauty of Kuala Lumpur, captured having a high dynamic range and high-resolution camera, and maybe remind us not to lose hope. ”
It has certainly done that – the drone movie has gotten over 91, 000 sights and many positive remarks since it was uploaded in May 2021.
One person wrote: “This had me within tears. Kuala Lumpur has been changing therefore drastically, soon is going to be on par with Tokyo, Singapore plus Shenzhen as one of Asia’s leading cities. ”
Another remarked: “Speechless! Breathless! Epic! Proud to be Malaysian! Hope ‘Malaysia Boleh’ will rise in the air again! ”
Besides praises from Malaysians, the jingle film also received a number of recognition in international competitions meant for creative professionals.
At the NYX Awards presentation, it was named the Gold Winner in the travel/tourism category and Silver Champion in the cinematography class.
It also won the Platinum Prize at the Muse Creative Awards.
In order to cap those triumphs, the entire team had been presented with a national award by the Malaysia Book Of Information for the First True 8K Drone Aerial Video In Malaysia and South-East Asia.
At this award presentation that took place on Aug 8, Film Edge also contributed a 90-minute documented AirPixel: The Journey .
It shows what went on during the making of the jingle film and the team members’ thoughts as they were handling the project, with shows on meeting “countless people who shared their own knowledge and techniques” as well strangers who had been willing to lend the helping hand.
It also details the particular challenges and wins the team experienced throughout the “two weeks of prep, two months of shooting, plus six months of post-processing” period.
According to director-editor Andy Bronze, AirPixel: The Journey is a tribute to all Malaysians exactly who helped in the recording of AirPixel 8K Kuala Lumpur Drone Film .
“There was not much we ordinary citizens could do during a pandemic. But one thing that pandemic gave us was the space to reflect.
“At that time, we never imagined that an ordinary drone video could actually inspire Malaysians to stand jointly and unite as you, ” Tan said in the documentary.
As seen in the AirPixel: The Journey, what began as an in-house project quickly became a passionate venture for Color and his teammates.
They were met with one obstacle after another, such as faltering to get data when the drone flew too high, losing the drone completely, and worst of all, an expensive drone crashing and awesome into many items.
“There were these challenging occasions when you ask yourself, how do you still stay strong, how do you portray that will positive spirit together leader?
“And just trying to figure out what’s the next step and coming up with a new plan. That was challenging, ” Bronze said.
Tan attributed his team as the reason he kept the faith.
“These men were constantly trying to puzzle out how to solve an issue. They had sleepless nights because of it.
“You look at them and you know as their leader, there’s simply no space for you to down again. That’s the thing that kept me going, ” he said.
Bronze, who grew up within a foster home, thinks in leading by example.
Having experienced kindness of people who volunteered in the foster home he or she was at, Suntan has taken the initiative to nurture younger generation.
Along with Film Edge, the company he founded within 2014, Tan frequently collaborates with organizations on educational Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes.
Within the documentary, Tan said: “We have been working closely with the educational institution. One of the seeks is we want to aid in educating the youngsters as well as nurture them, to get themselves prepared just before they actually your working industry.
“I strongly think that what goes around arrives. That is why we wished to inject this worth into the ecosystem. ”
So it is sensible that the team members behind this film include both students plus professionals.
The particular film’s drone tech supervisor, Adrian Loo, said he has been working with Tan given that he was a teenager. The 25-year-old is now a camera technician at Film Advantage.
“I have known Andy for nearly 10 years now. I have already been in this industry since i have was 16 years old just because I did not really like to study so much. I like doing more hands-on stuff plus that’s how I ended up having more friends in this industry, ” Loo informed StarLifestyle .
“I am always trying to force my limits within my field. I always try to go further is to do something different that nobody has done.
“So when Andy embarked on this project, I actually knew I had in order to participate because they actually needed a specialized guy. ”
Loo said they are elated that their team comprises individuals from various experience. Together, they worked well to troubleshoot problems.
“The biggest takeaway for me from doing this project was to just never quit. I discovered that if a person don’t give up and keep at it, almost everything will sort out alone, ” he additional.
Both Tan and Loo are now setting their sights on bigger goals.
“Next up, we plan to gloss up the documentary further, to make it into a better version. We want to send out it to celebrations and put it up meant for competitions. Maybe even submit it towards the Oscars, ” Suntan said.