A different view
Documentary AirPixel: The Journey shows how a team of Malaysians poured their heart and soul into capturing Kuala Lumpur through drone aerial shots.
IN 2020, when the country was at the height of battling Covid-19 and went into total lockdown, a team of Malaysians came together to embark on a project that proved to be both challenging as well as rewarding.
They wanted to showcase Kuala Lumpur like no one had seen before – through drone aerial shots captured in 8K resolution.
It was the first time something like this had been recorded in Malaysia and South-East Asia.
That effort initiated by Film Edge Sdn Bhd resulted in a gorgeous, almost seven-minute, drone film that reminds Malaysians here and abroad of the beauty of our capital city.
Titled AirPixel 8K Kuala Lumpur Drone Film, Negaraku, the video is available on the company’s YouTube channel.
In the description portion of the video, it’s stated: “With worries about the pandemic weighing on our minds, we hope this drone film sends uplifting positive vibes across the nation.
“We hope it can showcase the beauty of Kuala Lumpur, captured with a high dynamic range and high-resolution camera, and maybe remind us not to lose hope.”
It has definitely done that – the drone film has gotten over 90,000 views and many positive comments since it was uploaded in May 2021.
One person wrote: “This had me in tears. Kuala Lumpur has been changing so drastically, soon will be on par with Tokyo, Singapore and 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 drone film also received a number of recognition at international competitions for creative professionals.
At the NYX Awards presentation, it was named the Gold Winner in the travel/tourism category and Silver Winner in the cinematography category.
It also won the Platinum Award at the Muse Creative Awards.
To cap those triumphs, earlier this month, the entire team was presented with a national award by the Malaysia Book Of Records for the First True 8K Drone Aerial Video In Malaysia and South-East Asia.
Ups and downs
At this award presentation, Film Edge also shared a 90-minute documentary AirPixel: The Journey.
It shows what went on during the making of the drone film and the team members’ thoughts as they were handling the project, with highlights on meeting “countless people who shared their knowledge and techniques” as well strangers who were willing to lend a helping hand.
It also details the challenges and victories the team experienced throughout the “two months of prep, two months of shooting, and six months of post-processing” period.
According to director-editor Andy Tan, AirPixel: The Journey is a tribute to all Malaysians who helped in the filming 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 together and unite as one,” Tan said in the documentary.
As seen in the AirPixel: The Journey, what started as an in-house project quickly became a passionate venture for Tan and his teammates.
They were met with one obstacle after another, such as failing to get data when the drone flew too high, losing the drone completely, and worst of all, an expensive drone crashing and smashing into many pieces.
“There were these challenging moments when you ask yourself, how do you still stay strong, how do you portray that positive spirit as a team leader?
“And just trying to figure out what’s the next step and coming up with a new plan. That was challenging,” Tan said.
Tan attributed his team as the reason he kept the faith.
“These guys were constantly trying to figure out how to solve a problem. They had sleepless nights because of it.
“You look at them and you know as their leader, there’s no space for you to back down. That’s the thing that kept me going,” he said.
Paying it forward
Tan, who grew up in a foster home, believes in leading by example.
Having experienced kindness of people who volunteered at the foster home he was at, Tan has taken the initiative to nurture the younger generation.
With Film Edge, the company he founded in 2014, Tan often collaborates with institutions on educational Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes.
In the documentary, Tan said: “We have been working closely with the educational institution. One of the aims is we want to help in educating the youngsters and also nurture them, to get themselves prepared before they actually enter the working industry.
“I strongly believe that what goes around comes around. That is why we wanted to inject this value into the ecosystem.”
So it makes sense that the team members behind this film comprise both students and professionals.
The film’s drone tech supervisor, Adrian Loo, said he has been working with Tan since he was a teenager. The 25-year-old is now a camera technician at Film Edge.
“I have known Andy for almost 10 years now. I have been in this industry since I was 16 years old just because I didn’t really like to study so much. I like doing more hands-on stuff and that’s how I ended up having more friends in this industry,” Loo informed StarLifestyle.
“I am always trying to push my limits in my field. I always try to go further and do something different that nobody has done.
“So when Andy embarked on this project, I knew I had to participate because they really needed a technical guy.”
Loo said he is elated that his team comprises people from various backgrounds. Together, they worked to troubleshoot issues.
“The biggest takeaway for me from doing this project was to just never give up. I discovered that if you don’t give up and keep at it, everything will sort out by itself,” he added.
Both Tan and Loo are now setting their sights on bigger goals.
“Next up, we plan to polish up the documentary further, to make it into a better version. We want to send it to festivals and put it up for competitions. Maybe even submit it to the Oscars,” Tan said.