FILM RESOURCE CENTRE

Abstract

Singapore's film industry is facing its most exhilarating time yet. 1999 saw its highest number of local feature-length productions and international film awards. The Singapore International Film Festival is also enjoying great success and has become a hugely anticipated event every year. However, our local filmmakers lack some fundamental facilities and resources that are crucial to building up the industry's foundation and fuelling its overall development. Despite all this excitement within this small industry, the movie-going public still seems indifferent to these successes. Hence this thesis aims to increase the visibility of Singapore's film culture, by promoting its films and attracting talents to expand the industry. The Film Resource Centre will consist of film production and instruction facilities, a much-needed media library, a 300-seat cinema hall, public exhibition and activity spaces, serving both independent filmmakers and the generaI public. The client for this centre is the Singapore Film Commission. Their very apt mission statement asserts that it "aims to nurture, support and promote Singapore talent in film-making, the production of films in Singapore and the development of a film industry in Singapore." Apart from providing funding, the Commission is also involved in production facilitation, film-related training and the promotion of film appreciation. The Centre is situated along Selegie Road, which is at the central part of Singapore. This is at the confluence of the cultural district, future Bugis entertainment hub and the commercial Orchard shopping district, representing the dilemma or fusion of many filmmakers' intentions- whether to create a product that is of cultural, entertainment or commercial value, or a combination of these purposes. This thesis questions the necessity for displaying a film in the usual cinema hall setting, as most of the film types displayed in the proposed building do not offer the commercial value of the conventional Hollywood blockbusters. This thesis also addresses the issue of placing film production facilities (usually highly secured and secretive) in a public building such as this.