Watching out for "Becoming Royston"

Singapore independent film is vibrant, on the rise and very much alive these days. So much so, it is quite easy to gather this news by just having no more than a cursory look at the landscape as it presents itself; literally on Sinema.sg for one, proto-ymagon's friendly link, but there are many other sources to confirm the obvious. Among the many names increasingly being dropped in any discussion of current "young cinema" from South-East Asia, Singaporean productions of many different kinds and formats have come to figure more and more prominently, as can be observed in festivals around the world. One such undertaking I personally take a great deal of interest in and that looks very promising indeed to follow suit with this trend, if such it is, would be Originasian's first ever feature length film "Becoming Royston", which I want to briefly point out to you here.

Story and cast, what it looks like and what to expect of Nicholas Chee's directorial debut feature, as well as all the rest that might be of interest to you, this kind of basic information you can possibly get nowhere better than on the film's website itself, www.becoming-royston.com here.
What is however especially noteworthy about this particular production is its very inclusive, custom-made pre-launch concept, applied to ensure maximum exposure with the targeted audience in its home market and I'd like to give you a few words on this.

To me it seems like a breath of fresh air wafting in through some window being opened up onto the future - or on what one possible future of getting films done in Singapore could be like - and on small budgets anywhere. Put in more basic a fashion, you could well regard this one production, courageously undertaken and seen through on no more than 280,000 S$, as something like a marketing template for making innovative use of what arsenal our time offers when it comes to bringing your content home to the consumer.

In the case of “Becoming Royston” a campaign was designed to stifle local support in advance of the film's actual release and to successively introduce it to its would-be audience. In its catalogue you'll find a website with meticulous attention being given to visual details, which make it appear on your computer as a sight intricate yet simple, a sight well worth coming back to. And on doing so you'll find well composed pdf fact files on the film and its cast, ports for interaction, which enable the visitor to partake, to join the experience, to plug in. And there, too, you'll find the so-called webisodes that gained considerable local renown due to exposure at McDonald's outlets throughout Singapore, addressing the urbanite young in particular.

Applying an HD facilitated single source-multiple format production concept to it all, a vast range of compatibility and flexibility was arrived at that ultimately allowed for online streaming delivery and a work-in-progress screening in five chapters, which equally managed to connect considerably well. To sum it all up, this may turn out to be a landmark achievement, setting a precedent others might want to follow and which might even develop into some kind of standard formula for future independent releases - not just in Singapore. Certainly something to watch out for - and come back to.
As sure I will, and possibly seeing this promising film come over to Germany as well. So anyone interested in “Becoming Royston”, screenings and the like: don't hesitate to contact me via proto.ymagon@gmail.com.

(pic©Originasian Pictures LLP)