Intern "thrown in the deep end" on Singapore documentary filmmaking internship

Minsoh helping with the production of a long-form documentary film about the Singapore Oceanarium

Before my journey to Singapore, I was engulfed in nerves, thinking about moving into the complete unknown as the extent of my knowledge of the country was about as much as the 121 minutes of the hit film Crazy Rich Asians.

So, it was to my complete surprise when I arrived and was met with a feeling of such profound familiarity.

Apart from a brief stint in my early childhood, I have never lived in Asia. This was to be my first. To be in a country made up of such diverse pan-Asian identities, most, if not all, of whom speak English, meant that I didn’t have to grapple with my racial ‘Asian’ identity. I could simply exist within their hub of cosmopolitans.

I was already feeling so welcomed by the country, in arts communities and underground culture that felt well and truly alive. Getting to work at Beach House Pictures added another layer of excitement and adventure.

I was immediately thrown in the deep end, joining the casting team for a reality TV dating show.

I was guided by Priscilla, our wonderful casting producer, and followed her lead as we sifted through applications, social media accounts, and conducting interviews with potential candidates.

Although I had never worked in casting before, I really enjoyed the experience as it married my love for working directly with people and building relationships with a surprising amount of administrative and organisational work.

Minsoh spent two weeks living on the set of a reality dating show

When I wasn’t too busy casting, I also joined our showrunner and production team on location scouts for the show.

Lucky for me, that meant I got to see a lot of Singapore for “work”.

We visited the Singapore Zoo, Sentosa Island, and several potential adventure activity locations to sort out logistics for our shoot dates. Part of this involved testing activities to ensure they were safe, would run smoothly and had just enough thrill for it to be entertaining on screen.

As someone who loves a bit of adrenaline, I would put my hand up in an instant, scoring a chance to tackle a three-story-high obstacle course and a small bungee jump.

After locking in our cast, we proceeded to book their flights and accommodation, meet them at the airport and check them into their hotels.

Afterwards, the real adventure would begin for all of them, but funnily enough, for myself as well.

My lovely colleague Shantel and I were to stay and live in the reality TV house with the cast for the two-week duration of the show.

Minsoh preparing to bungy jump, and getting excited about a meal

Living with eighteen other people is not for the weak. Especially when sixteen of them are being filmed twelve hours a day while navigating ongoing turbulent relationship dramas of their own.

My job was to manage and care for them, and of course in an environment such as reality TV, where cast members pour their hearts out and vulnerability and emotional turmoil are brought to the surface, I became heavily involved in navigating heightened emotions, de-escelating situations and providing genuine pastoral care. Yet, reflecting our emotional entanglement, their hearts were open, and what was cool was that I got to truly know them.

I got to hear about their ways of life in their home countries across the world, their love stories and lived experiences so different from my own.

The other project I was on was a long-form documentary film about the Singapore Oceanarium.

Led by a brilliant leader and director, Joshua, I got to go on shoot with a very small team.

I learnt a lot about underwater creatures, their habitats, and the ecosystems they inhabit, while organising footage and data into a system for our editors.

Alongside helping with shooting and edit scripts, I learnt from the nature of the team itself, whose care for the subject matter and the people involved was deeply inspiring.

Minsoh and a camera operator filming in Singapore Oceanarium

Throughout this journey I got to meet and work with a diverse range of people.

You learn so much about yourself through others, and I was able to affirm my love for people, for community, that true whakawhanugatanga and manaakitanga will be a guiding light wherever I go in the world and that Singapore is filled with much much more than some crazy rich Asians!

The Foundation's business programme supports New Zealand companies to better understand Asia so they can make the most of opportunities in the region. It also supports to grow the next generation of Asia-savvy business leaders.

Our internship programme helps interns build a better understanding of the people, place and culture of their Asian host country, while developing industry-specific skills that will benefit them as they progress in their careers.