Singapore Beckons!
Singapore is a modern city-state with a population of just over 4 million, located near to the equator in Southeast Asia. As a multi-racial country, there are four official languages in Singapore: Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil.
For film-makers
Singapore offers a full range of pre and post-production facilities.
This edition of the Explorer brings you a brief guide to locations,
visa formalities, custom clearances and related issues in Singapore.
Lets look at some of the movies that used Singapore as their location:
1) Mann,
featuring Amir Khan, filmed on Star Cruise and Sentosa
2) Bollywood Take, featuring Aftab Sivadasani, filmed in various locations
in Singapore
3) Biwi No. 1, featuring Salman Khan and Karisma Kapoor, filmed in Sentosa
4) Ajnabi, featuring Bobby Deol & Akshay Kumar, filmed at Raffles
Place, in the Central Business District
5) Humraaz, featuring Bobby Deol, Akshay Kumar and Amisha Patel, filmed
6) Arjun Pandit, featuring Chawala & Sunny Deol, filmed at Ngee Ann City, a shopping mall.
In addition to the places where the above films have been shot there are quite a few other locations to shoot in Singapore
The Esplanade : Theatres on the Bay, the latest arts performance centre which has an interesting architecture. In its vicinity is the Merlion
Clarke Quay and Boat Quay ( which features fine dining by the Singapore River and riverboat cruise) then there is Megamalls in Singapore - Bugis Junction, Suntec City, Orchard Road -Sentosa.
For
a filmmaker who is looking for a location other than the normal there
are other major Attractions such as
The Jurong Bird Park which is one of the major attractions of this city.
Besides seeing the birds in their natural habitats, enthusiasts can also capture the beauty of these feathered creatures during the feeding time and bird performances. For a complete rainforest experience, check out the Southeast Asian Birds Aviary, where a ‘tropical thunderstorm’ is simulated every day at noon.
Well, how about planning a song sequence there!! And I promise you the actors will like it too!!
And while one is talking of the birds meet the penguins at The Penguin Parade! Here the birds live and play in an environment similar to that of the South Pole!. A perfect end to the visit to Jurong Bird Park would be to enjoy refreshments at the ‘Lodge of the Flamingo Lake’. Even after the shooting to give your weary feet a break, you can also take a monorail ride, as it covers the entire park at a very affordable ticket price. Might just be a good idea for relaxation of the entire unit.
Another
location that deserves consideration is The Singapore Zoological Gardens.
Spreading over 28 hectares and acclaimed as one of the most beautiful
zoos on the world map, the zoo houses more than 3,000 mammals, birds and
reptiles, including rare and endangered species. As the zoo
makes use of moats and rock walls as natural barriers, it is also widely
known as the `open’ zoo. But do obtain proper permissions
before even considering this location!
Adjacent to the Singapore Zoological Gardens, is a world’s first, The Night Safari. An ideal location for shooting romantic scenes and songs like Akeley Akeley kahan jaa rahe ho!!. You can also take a tram ride or stroll through the walking trails to see the wild animals in the mystery and drama of the jungle by night after the shooting. Take a walk inside the bat enclosure the mammals will be glad to hang freely around you!
Strike
out on your own along the walking trail or relax in a tram ride - whichever
you choose, the Night Safari is a wild adventure not to be missed.
I And then there is Snow City- Singapore’s first permanent indoor
snow centre with a snow-covered ski slope and play area, uses an entertaining
yet educational approach to introduce the concept of snow and cold climates.
This 3,000-sq-metre centre has its facilities spread over 2 storeys. Of
this, 1,200 sq. meters is covered with snow where you can ski, snowboard
or snow tube. All the shooting can be highly controlled and choreographed
here and still nothing can go wrong.
The
most famous spot that the viewers from all over the world will be interested
in watching in a film is
Sentosa Island. For the complete fun in the sun experience shoot in the
tempting waters at Sentosa’s Siloso Beach, Central Beach and Tanjong
Beach that offer sun worshippers a variety of water sports such as canoeingand
surf boarding. Another attraction worth mentioning is the Underwater World
at Sentosa Island, one of Asia’s largest oceanariums.
The
80-metre submerged tunnel allows you to do some ‘deep-sea diving’
without the need of wet suits! Viewers will love to meet pink dolphins
at the Dolphin Lagoon through the camera. Do not miss the Musical Fountain,
a night attraction featuring an extravaganza of lights and water ballet
set to popular world tunes.
SINGAPORE – THE GARDEN CITY.
In keeping with its reputation as the Garden City, Singapore is awash
with lush gardens and parklands as tropical greenery carpets the landscape.
If your film revolves round Mother Nature consider the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Bukit Timah Park. The Gardens epitomises the tropical island’s luxuriant parks. The Gardens is a combination of untouched primary forest and specialty gardens displaying frangipanis, roses, ferns and desert plants, to name a few. The thousands of plant species here, including many rare specimens, reflect the Gardens’ richness and diversity of flora. At Bukit Timah Park, well-marked paths meander through the jungle, and on the way, walkers can spot exotic birds, butterflies, monkeys, squirrels and flying lemurs as well as unique plant-life like the insect-eating pitcher plant.
In Singapore, the best way would be to
devote an entire day embarking on a walking tour to Chinatown, Little
India, Geylang Serai, Arab Street or Katong not just finding locations
but also finding oneself.
Chinatown is one place which is at its best during the Chinese New Year
(normally in February) when the streets come alive at night with makeshift
stalls selling the New Year’s goodies and delicacies. Little India
literally awakens to a blaze of light on Deepavali. The Malays put on
their best dress during Hari Raya (December) when Geylang Serai brims
with activity and the streets are scented with flowers, spices and yummy
edibles. Katong is usually a magnet for food lovers all year round. You
will find may Singaporeans making a special visit during lunch hours for
a taste of laksha (rice noodles in a rich coconut gravy) from their favourite
stall or any of the mouth-watering peranakan (or Straits Chinese) dishes.
Entry Requirements For Foreigners
All visitors to Singapore must meet the following entry requirements:
· Valid travel document (minimum validity = 6 months);
· Onward / return ticket;
· Entry facilities to next destination;
· Sufficient funds to stay in Singapore and
· Visa for Singapore (if applicable)
We shall be carrying out extensive information in future issues on Singapore
and the precise nature of facilities it offers in terms of costs and availability
of Technicians and Facilities to Indian producers and Film makers.
In case you decide to shoot your film in Singapore here is some information on the contacts that might help you plan your shooting schedule:
Arun Srivastava
Marketing Manager South Asia
Singapore Tourism Board
No. 82, Jolly Maker II, 8th Floor, Nariman Point,
Mumbai - 400 021. India
Tel : + 91 22 2285 3004 / 2283 4141 Extension : 103
Fax : + 91 22 2283 5700
Email : Arun_SRIVASTAVA@stb.gov.sg
Website : www.visitsingapore.com