TOP 10 PEMBERI AURA MELUKIS KOMIK

Kalau nak sebut watak-watak komik dan judul-judul komik yang menjadi minat sejak kecil memang banyak. Antaranya yang masih teringat di memori ialah majalah komik Salina, Kapten Malaysia (dari majalah Bambino), Spider-Man dan Superman. Seterusnya karya-karya komik fantasi nusantara keluaran Mediaseni yang membariskan artis-artis komik yang sememangnya ekstrim dengan idea angker. Cerita-cerita komik nusantara yang seram dan fantasi dari penerbitan inilah seingat saya memperkayakan lagi imaginasi untuk ke arah yang sama (dengan karya akan datang dalam perancangan, 'PUTERA MALAR'). Diikuti pula dengan karya-karya hebat dari Novel Grafik Bayan dan seterusnya karya-karya komik hebat oleh majalah Fantasi keluaran Creative Enterprise (rujukan: Komik Industri Malaysia). Pastu ada koleksi komik sastera berbahasa Inggeris yang saya dapatkan di perpustakaan sekolah (SMTP) yang pertama kali mendedahkan saya kepada karya 'Wuthering Heights'. Tetapi sebagai artis komik, identiti saya lebih terserlah kepada stail lukisan saya. Ramai gak yang tanya, siapakah yang paling menyerlah (Top 10) dalam memberi aura kesenian saya melukis komik? Jawapannya mereka inilah...
    

AZMAN YUSOF

Semenjak majalah FANTASI diperkenalkan oleh Creative Enterprise dan hasil lukisan beliau sering dijadikan sebagai kulit muka depan majalah tersebut, keterujaan saya melukis dan mewarna semakin menjadi-jadi. Saya sangat kagum dengan ketelitian beliau mewarna dan melukis anatomi manusia di pelbagai sudut posisi. Malah pernah ketika saya belajar di sekolah menengah (SSARSI) dalam aliran sains, sering saya mengesyorkan kepada kelab seni untuk menggunakan majalah FANTASI sebagai rujukan kerana karya-karya Azman Yusof. Sehingga ke hari ini apabila menatap kembali kepada lukisan-lukisan beliau, kebanyakannya masih boleh saya ingat kepentingannya kepada perkembangan skil melukis saya terutamanya dalam bab mewarna. 

 AIE

Beliau adalah salah seorang artis komik yang saya kagumi dari segi lakaran dan mendekatkan saya kepada majalah UJANG untuk siri BLUES UNTUK AKU. Yang menjadi perhatian saya kepada bakat beliau ialah strok lakarannya yang mudah tetapi sangat menarik! Beliau memaparkan satu teknik melukis yang bijak menggunakan ruang dan masa tanpa perlu mengulang kerja. Malah menggabungkan elemen kartun dan realistik sebagai pakej identiti beliau sememangnya patut menjadi tarikan komersil (sampaikan menjadi ikut-ikutan bakat-bakat baru).

TAN ENG HUAT

Saya mengkagumi hampir semua artis-artis komik di Gempak Starz™ kerana bakat-bakat yang ditampilkan di bawah label ini memang tidak dinafikan punya keunikan tersendiri, dan kerja seni yang teliti serta berkualiti. Tetapi sejak mula mengenali Gempak™ dan artis-artis komiknya, kerja beliau yang paling kuat tarikannya kepada naluri seni saya. Beliau ada teknik melakar dan mewarna konvensional yang kemas dan teliti tetapi bebas dari sudut persembahan. Seolah penyampaian beliau berani dalam rentak yang sangat berhati-hati, justeru tidak mustahil hari ini taraf beliau sebaris dengan artis-artis komik terkenal antarabangsa.

ALEX ROSS

Permainan warna air beliau dalam penghasilan komik memang unik! Malah cara beliau melukis postur karakter manusia sangat realisitik telah memangkinkan semangat saya untuk turut sama pandai melukis karakter manusia dengan tepat. Beliau juga antara pengaruh utama saya suka membikin komik peribadi dengan warna air ketika masih menuntut diploma di UiTM Jengka. Pernah juga saya mewarnakan karya-karya komik peribadi saya dengan dakwat cair, juga terilham dari pengamatan melihat lukisan-lukisan komik beliau.

 TRAVIS CHAREST

Saya mengenali beliau ketika sudah menerajui majalah GEMPAK™ dan terpikat dengan stail melukisnya dalam siri WildC.A.T's Vol. 2. Semenjak itu saya tidak melepaskan peluang untuk mendapatkan mana-mana komik yang melibatkan beliau sebagai artis komik. Pertama yang membuatkan saya suka dengan teknik lukisan beliau ialah teknik penciling yang kemas dan inking yang cukup teliti. Keduanya ialah cara beliau menggunakan teknik melukis garis putus-putus sebagai imbuhan kepada garis mati yang menjadikan karya seni beliau beridentiti tersendiri.

 CHRIS BACHALO

Sebelum siri komik STEAMPUNK, saya tidak begitu cenderung dengan hasil kerja beliau. Tetapi selepas SteamPunk, salut saya kepada teknik lukisan beliau mampu saya angkat sebagai sangat epik! Yang paling membuat saya teruja ialah dengan cara penciling beliau, ada ketelitian seni yang tidak memerlukan pembaris untuk mendapatkan garis lurus walaupun outline tidak sekata. Malah dengan karya STEAMPUNK beliau juga saya lebih menghargai erti ketelitian dengan minat yang tidak berbelah bagi. Namun jujur saya katakan, setakat ini hanya dengan STEAMPUNK saya kekal menjiwai seni beliau.

INOUE TAKEHIKO

Beliau saya kenal melalui VAGABOND dahulu baru saya tahu beliau juga yang melukis komik SlamDunk. Kecendurangan saya terhadap teknik melukis beliau lebih tertumpu kepada brushing, penciling dan inking. Stail beliau lain daripada yang lain berbanding semua manga-ka di Jepun, lebih kepada seni potret yang merealistikan pembangunan karakter dan latar-belakang. Kalau hendak tahu bagaimana saya mencampurkan unsur realistik dengan konsep manga, maka beliaulah orangnya yang mempengaruhi kaedah tersebut dalam pembikinan komik saya.

MA WING SHING

Bagi saya, beliau adalah Alex Ross versi Asia tetapi dengan teknik pewarnaan yang lebih teliti dan tertumpu. Punca saya mengikuti siri komik PEDANG SETIAWAN pun kerana lukisan beliau yang mantap (ketika teman-teman yang lain sibuk mengikuti perkembangan komik Tony Wong). Cara beliau melukis dan mewarna telah mengajak saya untuk menghayati setiap panel komik hinggakan seolah saya turut berada di zaman itu. Hinggakan saya begitu dekat dengan Penjejak Awan dan Penjejak Badai, dan sehingga kini ingat siapa itu Penjejak Angin.

KATSUHIRO OTOMO

Seperkara yang saya kagumi tentang beliau ialah teknik melukisnya yang mudah tetapi padat dengan ketelitian. Beliau adalah contoh kepada saya dalam membina kesabaran untuk menghasilkan seni komik yang lebih pandai bercerita dengan hanya melihat kepada lukisan selain membaca dialog. Setiap panel menggambarkan suasana yang mampu memberi seribu makna. Setiap karakter digambarkan dengan ekspresi yang mudah untuk difaham dan sebutir pasir yang dilukis pun punya sebabnya. Tetapi karya AKIRA beliau adalah masterpiece untuk saya jadikan rujukan erti sebuah kesabaran demi sebuah kejayaan yang unggul!

 *************************************

Jadi tidaklah bakat dan ilham melukis saya menjadi kalau tidak kerana mereka-mereka yang lebih berpengalaman berbanding saya di dalam industri ini, samada yang telah saya sebutkan di sini mahupun mereka yang tidak saya senaraikan. Jika gaya lakaran dan teknik melukis mereka mampu membuatkan saya teruja untuk mengamatinya, maka saya akan tatap hasil kerja itu rapat-rapat seolah sedang menyerap auranya. Semoga ada ramai lagi artis komik yang bakal membuatkan saya teruja, BERUSAHA! 

FAKHRUL ANOUR

Melampau la calonkan diri sendiri dalam Top 10 ni, kannnn... tapi itulah hakikatnya. Kalau saya tidak sukakan bakat sendiri, mustahil saya boleh sampai ke tahap seperti hari ini. Saya tidak menilai diri saya sebagai artis kanvas yang suka bereksperimentasi dengan banyak jenis warna, medium ataupun peralatan. Mencurah segala rasa tanpa ada susunan cerita mengikut panel bahkan dialog yang boleh dibaca. Walau suka memerhati karya-karya painting sedemikian, namun itu bukan bidang saya. Apatah lagi saya tidak cenderung untuk menjadi artis fine-art ataupun abstrak. Saya pelukis komik dan tumpuan saya lebih kepada sebarang jenis lukisan yang mengaplikasi kepada komik itu sendiri. Biarlah orang kata ini kerja paling susah nak kaya, tetapi sudah terbukti pun ramai juga yang boleh berhidup dengan hanya melukis komik. Yang penting kita kena berusaha, dan jangan mudah mengabaikan apa yang kita cinta. Insha-Allah... BERUSAHA! ^_^

20 JUALAN TERTINGGI FILEM TEMPATAN

Kepada ABANG LONG FADIL, MAEL LAMBUNG dan AH BENG, saya minta maaflah sebab tak dapat diselitkan dalam senarai box-office ni walaupun kutipan jualan tiketnya mencecah hingga RM4 juta namun tertewas dengan JALAN KEMBALI di tangga ke-20. Manakala dakwaan mengatakan filem-filem lawak spastik dan gangsterism sahaja yang dapat mencuri hati para penonton filem tempatan adalah tidak benar sama sekali, memandangkan dalam senarai ni boleh dikatakan semua genre ada termasuklah kreatif animasi dan superhero. Dalam menghasilkan sebuah filem yang menarik ia perlu menepati ciri-ciri karya berseni dengan melibatkan lakonan yang mantap (menjadi dan tak terasa janggal untuk ditonton!), pengarahan yang berkesan (tak terkongkong oleh lagak nak tunjuk bagus dan resmi nak duit jer!) dan produksi yang bertanggungjawab terhadap kesenian membikin filem (jangan setakat nak kaut untung atau nak dapat duit projek jer!). Pengamatan saya kepada 20 filem paling box-office Malaysia (sehingga 7hb. September 2014) ni, mendapati ia menepati ciri-ciri yang disebutkan walau apapun genre-nya.

[Rujukan: www.finas.gov.my]

1

THE JOURNEY
Tahun: 2014
RM17.17 juta

2

KL GANGSTER
Tahun: 2011
RM11.74 juta

3

OMBAK RINDU
Tahun: 2012
RM10.90 juta

4

HANTU BONCENG
Tahun: 2012
RM8.53 juta

5

 NGANGKUNG
Tahun: 2010
RM8.18 juta

6

KONGSI
Tahun: 2011
RM8.09 juta

7

KHURAFAT
Tahun: 2011
RM8.08 juta

8

HANTU KAK LIMAH BALIK RUMAH
Tahun: 2010
RM7.90 juta 

9 

ADNAN SEMPIT 
Tahun: 2010
RM7.66 juta

Malah setiap filem ni mempunyai paradigma tersendiri dalam penampilan konsep dan tema cerita walau ada diantaranya memberi kejutan negatif yang menarik (seperti filem CICAK-MAN). Manakala filem-filem komedi di dalam senarai ini tidak sekadar membuatkan kita ketawa tetapi turut menyumbang input kepada proses suntingan yang tidak canggung dengan kualiti penyampaian cerita tidak merapu (yang terakibat oleh kongkongan muslihat nak jimat kos atau dah malas nak fikir yang terbaik lagi). Seterusnya dakwaan yang mengatakan paten citarasa penonton filem di negara ni berubah-ubah mengikut tahun, musim atau populariti pun tidak boleh dijadikan ukuran memandangkan 20 filem paling berjaya ni tidak dikutip mengikut turutan tahun, kategori atau pelakon/pengarah/produksi selain kutipan jualannya.

 
10

ADNAN SEMPIT 2
Tahun: 2012
RM6.82 juta

11 

HIKAYAT MERONG MAHAWANGSA
Tahun: 2011
RM6.50 juta 

12

LAGI-LAGI SENARIO
Tahun: 2001
RM6.33 juta

13

GENG
Tahun: 2010
RM6.20 juta

14

JANGAN PANDANG BELAKANG CONGKAK
Tahun: 2010
RM6.09 juta

15

HUSIN, MON & JIN PAKAI TONCIT
Tahun: 2013
RM5.89 juta

16

JANGAN PANDANG BELAKANG
Tahun: 2007
RM5.78 juta

17

KL DRIFT 2
Tahun: 2010
RM5.67 juta

18

CICAK-MAN 
Tahun: 2006
RM5.15 juta

19

KL GANGSTER 2
Tahun: 2013
RM4.96 juta

20

JALAN KEMBALI
Tahun: 2012
RM4.98 juta

Justeru tanggapan produksi filem tempatan harus membikin filem mengikut citarasa penonton tidak boleh dijadikan alasan sama sekali. Jadi, bagaimana jika benar-benar ingin menghasilkan filem yang mampu menarik penonton ke pawagam? Berikut pendapat saya: 

1) Jangan kedekut dengan klip-klip promosi dan proses di balik tabir

2) Jangan terlalu berahsia dengan kos pembikinan serta kutipan jualan

3) Jangan bersikap angkuh dalam menyampaikan informasi perfileman

4) Jangan 'beli' wartawan-wartawan media berbayar untuk rebiu positif

5) Jangan buat skrip meleweh hingga penonton tidak terkesan oleh maksudnya

6) Jangan biarkan pelakon membawa watak tanpa mengubah personaliti diri

7) Jangan bikin filem hanya untuk sekadar bisnes, fikirkan juga seninya!

8) Jangan tugaskan pengarah baru tanpa pembantu pengarah yang berpengalaman!

9) Jangan buat produksi filem hanya untuk pusingan modal dari duit lobi!

10) Jangan lupa ini industri filem untuk tayangan di pawagam, bukan di TV!

Sekarang kos pun semakin meningkat, pelabur filem pun dah berani melabur ke produksi filem sampai berjuta-juta ringgit. Jadi kepada karyawan filem dan produksi jangan takbur sangat dapat 'untung muka' camni sebelum produk di pasaran. Gunakan sebaiknya untuk hasilkan karya filem yang bagus dan bukan setakat kualiti untuk tontonan di TV jer tapi ditayangkan kat pawagam. Hari ini kutipan jualan setakat RM2 juta dan RM1 juta tu dah mula dilihat sekadar balik modal, tak lama lagi tak dinafikan kutipan RM4 juta pun belum tentu menjanjikan keuntungan besar. 

"Anak-anak muda yang menyanyi ikut suka hati, bermain muzik ikut suka hati, berpakaian ikut suka hati akan menjadi terdedah kepada unsur-unsur yang tidak baik dan dengan sendirinya lahir angkatan yang tidak berdisplin."

- Tan Sri P. Ramlee

 Seterusnya mulai dari sekarang sikap mudah berpuas-hati dengan hasil seni sendiri walaupun tidak sebaik karya luar negara harus dikikis untuk memperkukuhkan lagi keyakinan kreativiti generasi baru kita supaya lebih berusaha. Jangan setakat nampak boleh jer! Tetapi juga mesti ada semangat untuk lebih baik dan tampil setanding dengan karya-karya antarabangsa. Itu yang kita mahukan demi Industri Kreatif Malaysia dalam memantapkan lagi seni karyawan-karyawan kita.

10 BOX-OFFICE FOREIGN MOVIES IN MALAYSIA

When we thought the world No.1 Box-Office is also Malaysia No.1 Box-Office, we assumed it wrong. This year, TRANSFORMERS latest movie franchise has surpassed the total gross ticket sold made by 'IRON MAN 3' ($13,909,003/as of 4th August 2013) last year. Even the total gross of above $13 million in Malaysia has beat up the world success of three top all-time Box-Office movies; MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS ($10,965,615/as of 5th August 2012), AVATAR ($7,706,512/as of 4th July 2010) and being the out of league, TITANIC ($2,764,733/as of final). Even movies in my #BoycottIsrael lists like 'Lucy' ($1,747,630/as of 24th August 2014) and 'The Expendables 3' ($1,424,208/as of 24th August 2014) made it above $1 million, as I believed the local consumers are wise enough not to boycott as it involved not more than a few pro-Israel players in the production team. While movies that almost or a flop in the world box-office like 'Pompeii' ($1,130,375/as of 23rd March 2014) and 'The Legend of Hercules' ($1,303,892/as of 2nd February 2014) also reached above $1 million in Malaysia.  Meanwhile an international box-office like 'Muppets Most Wanted' ($43,028/as of 11th March 2014) did not even surpass the $100,000 collection in Malaysia but gain 56.37% gross return worldwide. 

[Source: www.boxofficemojo.com]

 

1 

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
Premiered: 26th June 2014
Distributor: UIP
Total Gross (as of 24th August 2014): $13,511,790/±RM42,649,961.04

2

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Premiered:  1st May 2014
Distributor: Sony
Total Gross (as of 20th July 2014): $9,394,162/±RM29,652,669.51

3  

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIERS
Premiered:  27th March 2014
Distributor: Disney
Total Gross (as of 22nd June 2014): $8,404,017/±RM26,527,277.11

4

 X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Premiered: 22nd May 2014
Distributor: Fox
Total Gross (as of 27th July 2014): $6,651,878/±RM20,996,650.89

5

 MALEFICENT
Premiered: 29th May 2014
Distributor: Disney
Total Gross (as of 3rd August 2014): $6,393,211/±RM20,180,168.58

6

GODZILLA
Premiered: 15th May 2014
Distributor: Fox
Total Gross (as of 27th July 2014): $6,077,147/±RM19,182,512.66

7

ROBOCOP
Premiered: 30th January 2014
Distributor: Sony
Total Gross (as of 23rd March 2014): $5,833,356/±RM18,412,986.45

8

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Premiered: 31st July 2014
Distributor: Disney
Total Gross (as of 24th August 2014): $5,354,00/±RM16,899,899.38

9

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Premiered: 10th July 2014
Distributor: Fox
Total Gross (as of 24th August 2014): $4,756,778/±RM15,014,768.32

10

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
Premiered: 7th August 2014
Distributor: UIP
Total Gross (as of 24th August 2014): $4,346,048/±RM13,718,299.19

So I may concluded that as of until now, the maximum local audiences would spend to watch movies in Malaysia could reach almost 3 million people approximately with box-office target could reach almost RM50 million. It will not be impossible for our local film makers to reach the box-office hit like the 'TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION'. But only if we could only make a movie that have the quality of acting, directing and editing as good as those who really value of making amazing art from conventional up to the detail of technology.

As compared to:

'The Journey' (一路有你) is the highest grossing local film with box-office hit of RM17,170,341.75 (reported by Finas.gov.my) so far in 2014. Nothing much I would say about the detail of technology used in this movie, but its conventional issue portrayed in its storyline and acting casually, convinced an audience like me to enjoy watching it. I have no problem with the acting methods (not award-winning but not awkward either), the directing is simple yet promising (seemed the director has no reason to limit himself in expressing his skill), and the balloon concept used as the gimmick of the story's concept is adhering enough. Watching the tradition conflict between the young generation to the old in Chinese community from the storyline has no different to my own Malay community. Just change the custom and voila... I can relate to it at every single point. If some would say this movie got wide promotional coverage (so did the 'CEO' movie yet still failed at box-office!). Let us just accept the fact that our local audience are not that stupid to define the quality of a movie, which they (that's include me) could relate by the awesome performance of acting or the hypocrisy way of directing. Nuff said!     

  

WIRA CICAK; RANUM DI LUAR, BUSUK DI DALAM (RE-EDITED)

Sejak beberapa bulan ni selalu jer dapat seru nak mengkritik sesetengah idea orang kita yang 'ranum di luar, busuk di dalam'. Nak ikutkan hati, memang malas nak amik port. Tapi lagi tak dimulakan, lagi tu terus saban hari perilaku persekitaran yang dilalui asyik bagi hint² yang menjurus ke arah tu. Pastu tetiba rasa cam tak sedap hati kalau terus dipendamkan, rasa cam lari dari tanggungjawab lak. Tak best betul! Masa tulah terbayang-bayangkan kata² trademark dalam francais Spider-Man...

With great power, 
comes great responsibility!

Jadi dengan bismillah, ikut jerlah gerak hati. Tapi (demi Allah!) kritikan ni dengan hati yang sabar, ikhlas & minda bersih dari prasangka mahupun iri hati. Zero enemy! Kat sini saya hanya nak kritik filem atau any subjects yang berkaitan dengan kerjaya diri sebagai penulis, pelukis komik & bekas ketua pengarang. Berdasarkan pengalaman diri & orang sekeliling. Harapan saya, dengan pendapat berbaur kritikan ni dapat menjadi renungan kepada sesetengah karyawan baru kita yang rasa...

"Sesiapa jer boleh jadi pembikin filem!"

Ini contoh sifat terlampau over-confident sampai sanggup mengenepikan ciri² 'keselamatan' yang menjurus kepada tanda amaran...

"Your first gonna be your last if U're not careful & wise enough!"

Ramai yang tak sedar hakikat sebenarnya...

"Nothing stops U but yourself!"

(Tak faham bahasa Inggeris? Maaf la... tak siapa yang halang kita daripada belajar memahami bahasa Inggeris. Kalau ada orang halang pun, sebenarnya masih boleh buat kalau niat & semangat tu ada)

Tetapi hakikat disebaliknya ialah...

"Can U really stop yourself for nothing?"

(Faham bahasa Inggeris tapi tak faham maksudnya?! Terlampau berfalsafah?! Sudah terang lagi nak bersuluh... kannn!)

Majoriti ramai yang saya temui, kenali & dekati sering terkeliru, camner saya pelajar aliran Sains (hingga berjaya menjulang segulung ijazah dalam bidang tersebut) tapi end-up jadi pelukis komik, novelis & ketua pengarang? Ada yang complaint "Sia-sia jer kau habiskan masa diploma & ijazah kau tu. Ambil ler course art ke. Ada kaitan gak. Buat membazir masa jer!"

The truth is... 
We can't really stop ourselves for nothing and hold back the thought for what we think we are before we turn to something we're not.

Masa belajar dulu, bila bosan study atau mood rasa nak melukis, saya akan melukis tak kira masa atau tempat. Masa sekolah rendah, ada la kelas belajar melukis. Masa tu jer peluang dapat mendekati minat terhadap seni lukisan. Balik rumah it's all about being a successful scholar! Bila kat rumah emak didik saya dengan fahaman bahawa TV is bad, Radio is bad, entertainment magazines are bad but encyclopedia books are GOOD! So... that's where I got the habit of being a book worm, knowledge digger & a self-taught machine. Worse... a dust is like my source of knowledge!

Maybe dumb on the outlook, but what's inside I rather not let U know for God knows me better, instead of me telling U what's worse.

Jadi kerana yang teruk tu la membuatkan saya tak tahan, gatal tangan nak tegur gak — rimas kalau dibiarkan.

'Malaysia Boleh!'

Tak boleh jadi seperti arwah Tan Sri P. Ramlee pun takper. Takyah susah²-kan diri nak jadi very outstanding. Tapi kalau diberi peluang & rasa boleh buat, buatlah tapi boleh diterimakah? Jadi kalau boleh diterima, elokkah diteruskan hingga menjadi teladan buat generasi seterusnya? Yang paling penting, boleh ke jadi one-of-a kind hari ni & selamanya dalam erti kata bukan one-of-a-kind yang satu hari nanti jadi lawak bodoh serta cemuhan orang? Sebagai contoh...

Inikah superhero pertama Malaysia yang dibangga-banggakan kerana francais filemnya mampu kaut untung besar... walaupun ia untuk tujuan komedi. Camner spesis reptilia dipanggil cicak (cicak rumah lak tu!), boleh terlepas dari penilaian Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia/FINAS & diluluskan untuk tayangan hingga mencapai box-office?! Tak kaji salasilah kejadian cicak ke? Camner Malaysia boleh dimalukan oleh bangsa sendiri dengan fakta cicak boleh menyumbangkan keistimewaan hingga menjadi manusia berkuasa perwira? Hancur la fahaman generasi muda kita pasni. Nak melawak pun melawak la gak, kan? Tapi dalam melawak tu tapis la gak, kan? Tapi jangan masa menapis pun nak melawak kot...

Nak membanggakan produk sendiri pun berpada-pada la, jangan sampai jadi bodoh sombong. Nak melawak pun biarlah kena pada tempatnya, jangan hari ini buat orang ketawa, esok kelak menangis.

Kepada pro cicak, pro Cicak-Man, pro KRU atau pro sesaper jerlah yang pro-projek ni, tolong la JADI cam superhero korang. Jangan salah ertikan kritikan ni sebab saya tahu kita tetap akan lastik cicak atas siling rumah atau mesti sagat lantai sampai bersih kalau nampak taik cicak bertepek di lantai. Tapi kalau disalah-ertikan, mesti korang akan automatik memanjangkan lidah menjilat cicak di siling @ taik cicak di lantai cam cicak gak! Tapi ia tetap makhluk yang tak layak di-superhero-kan biarpun dalam erti kata melawak sebab...

"Kenapa perlu menjadi seekor cicak sedangkan kita berkuasa seumpama seekor naga? Hanya orang yang lemah semangat saja yang tidak meyakini keupayaan diri sendiri. Belajarlah teknik berbicara dengan minda, Insya Allah kita akan mampu melakukan sesuatau yang dianggap mustahil pada satu masa dulu."

[http://virtualfriends.net/article/articleview.cfm?AID=10850]

Jadi kenapa perlu NAGA menjadi CICAK?

Sebab cicak tak selawak naga? Kerana naga hanyalah mitos sedangkan cicak memang di depan mata? Hakikatnya, cicak tetap terus menjadi lambang spesis berkeperibadian terendah berbanding lain² spesies reptilia yang sememangnya eksotik tapi bagai 'api dalam sekam' (dalam Islam sendiri hadis riwayat Muslim, Rasulullah mengesyorkan cicak dibunuh!). Mengagungkan sifatnya bak superhero dalam diri manusia terbukti tidak mampu menandingi sifat keperibadian tinggi labah-labah (Spider-Man), kelawar (Batman), kucing (Catwoman), lebah (Red Bee) atau belalang (Kamen Rider), apatah lagi semut (Ant-Man).

Anyway, kalau iyer pun nak menyokong seruan Dr. Lee Grismer (profesor dalam jurusan biologi di Jabatan Biologi, Universiti La Sierra, California, US) yang mempersoalkan... 

"Kenapa kita tidak sepatutnya menggemari cicak?!"

Dr. Lee Grismer yang begitu mengagumi spesis cicak menganggap ia sebagai hadiah yang diberi Tuhan untuk dibuka & teroka. Justeru dia mungkin boleh berbangga bahawa cicak kini menjadi kebanggaan rakyat Malaysia, tak seperti di US yang sentiasa menggambarkan spesis reptilia cam cicak sebagai super-villain (kecuali siri TV klasik 'Reptile Man' @ filem komedi 'Superhero Movie' yang tergolong dalam kategori exploitation movie oleh penganalisa filem dunia).

***************
SKETSA CICAK; IBU & ADIK 

"Ibu! Adik nak minum air yang masuk Cicak tu! Adik nak jadi cam Cicak-Man!"

 "Ibu! Adik nak jadi cam Cicak-Man, selamatkan orang dari kejahatan! Semua cicak² dalam rumah ni semua adalah kawan Adik!"

"Ibu! Adik nak super-power cam Cicak-Man, boleh panjangkan lidah, boleh melekat di dinding."

"Boleh nak, ibu tak kisah adik nak jadi Cicak-Man. Tapi kenapa Cicak-Man? Kenapa tak jadi Venom @ Toad jer?"

Venom (Spider-Man)

Toad (X-Men)

"Apa la ibu ni, tu ciptaan Barat. Mana boleh samakan dengan superhero Malaysia yang cool ni! Inilah filem superhero pertama Malaysia, ibu! Idea bangsa kita tu... Sokong la sikit."

"Tapi Adik, sememangnya tak dinafikan yang menghasilkan filem tu adalah diorang yang berbakat dalam industri perfileman & kecanggihan CGI filem tu memang cun habesss! Tak salah nak support. Tapi mengapa harus naga ingin menjadi cicak?! Lagipun Lizard (cicak) Man kan dah wujud sebagai super-villain (musuh!) Masters of The Universe."

"Itu Lizard-Man, ibu. Ni Gecko-Man!"

"Gecko biarpun menjadi simbol eksotik yang comel, namun untuk menjadikan ia sebagai simbol kekuatan unggul? Rasanya stick to the road like geckos to a wall yang menjadi tagline promosi kereta Wiesmann masih tak mencirikan kekuatannya, selain ciri eksotik yang klasik. Lebih bersifat sidekick berbanding ahead of time seperti kuda Ferrari."

"Ala... diorang kan melawak jer tu, jangan la serius sangat."

"Bagi ibu... tak salah pun guna haiwan lain sebagai idealogi superhero & lawak tu masih kekal. Lagipun kita kan ada Kenyalang dan Harimau, atau mungkin sekecil-kecil semut atau sepandai-pandai kancil, kenapa haiwan sedemikian tidak dijadikan teladan wira negara kita? Dengan kepakaran CGI yang ada, bakat penulisan dan pengarahan filem yang baik, pasti ia tetap berhasil. Tapi kenapa mesti cicak?!"

***************

Kebenarannya sekarang bagaikan seekor cicak, sering kita hanya menangkap ekornya & menganggap bahawa itulah kebenaran yang sebenar. Tapi hakikatnya mencari kebenaran itu berbahaya, tapi lebih berbahaya jika kita rasa telah menemukannya sampai terasa diri itu benar hingga cenderung menyakinkan orang lain (seperti yang cuba saya lakukan melalui penulisan ini... been there, done that!). 

Kita manusia adalah rela­tif & penuh dengan segala kekurangan, namun boleh dengan pelbagai kelebihan. Namun hakikat manusia tidak boleh menangkap seluruh kebenaran itu secara mutlak, selalu sahaja ada yang kurang. Kita tak dapat menangkap kebenaran secara utuh dan bulat, selalu saja ada sedikit yang sumbing. Apatah lagi bila wang dan kemewahan sudah menggelapkan jalan untuk melihat yang lebih baik selain keuntungan semata-mata. 

VERY LOW BUDGET, SUPER HIGH PROFIT!

I may not be the one who is working high and low in the film industry, but you can quote me as one of the important player for the industry as I am the audience who is very opinionated to see the success of our film industry, at home. So when some local film-makers took international sleeper hit movies as the benchmark example for them to gain success, I hope they would re-think of their strategy. Because sleeper hit is like a comet, it happened by natural circumstances and it only happen unexpectedly—started low with high end! You cannot plan to see such success, because only miracle could give it a full blown through a very high effort but so low expectation. So through my observation, I took a sample of 500 all-time successful movies that garnered gross-profit collection above USD200 million from Box-Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com). Then supported by information through Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org), I chose movies with production cost that is below USD10 million and here what I have found...

GONE WITH THE WIND

Year Released: 1939

Genre: Epic historical romance

Director: Victor Fleming (& George Cukor)

Budget: USD3.85 million

Profit: USD400,176,459

Return: 10,294%

Comment: The period when the movie was made maybe doesn't have inflation rate and costs were cheap back then. But looking at other movies in this list, that cannot be an excuse (at all!). So to speak, it was released right on the year where World War II started. The movie (that run for more than 3 hours) was adapted on a novel (released on 1936) of the same name wrote by Margaret Mitchell about a spoiled lady in love, Scarlett O' Hara during the era of American Civil War right before the reconstruction period. I read the novel and I've watched the movie, both are epic works as the storyline seriously motivational especially when you're facing the highest difficulty in life and try your every best to survive after all the luxury has gone. When it comes to marketing point, this movie was released right at the beginning of World War II and re-released again a few times from 1947 until 1971. So you know how the circumstance brought the movie to success? Just play with creativity right before and after the period, and enjoy the show.
Fav. Quote: "No, I'm through with everything here. I want peace. I want to see if somewhere there isn't something left in life of charm and grace. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

THE JUNGLE BOOK

Year Released: 1967

Genre: animated

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman

Budget: USD4 million

Profit: USD205,843,612

Return: 5046%

Comment: There are quite a few adaptations for 'The Jungle Book' (1894) collection of stories written by Rudyard Kipling, but this animated movie released by Walt Disney Productions in 1967 was the unforgettable one. The project took a lot of a headache to begin, especially when it came to what direction the storyline should be for the animated version. This movie was the last by the production that involved the magical touch of Walt Disney, the man himself! He controlled almost every aspect of the animation project from storyline to casting. It was a project that everybody was much worried about how Disney took the development direction into something totally new and risky, and also cheaper in budget! He involved greatly in the project and by the time he passed away on 15th December 1966, the movie was released almost a year later, on 18th October 1967 with success. Respect is another reason for something so high in effort but so low in budget to meet its box-office. 

Fav. Quote: "This will take brains, not brawn."

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Year Released: 1977

Genre: Dance/Musical

Director: John Badham

Budget: USD3.5 million

Profit: USD282,400,000

Return: 7968%

Comment: Guest what, I don't have to figure much about how this movie gained its super success with such a little budget. The disco era rose to its fame by mid-to-late 70s, and this movie released by that period. Not only that, the soundtracks of this movie, all of them were hit songs and by the time it reached the high note, the dance sequence had become a troll!  The movie ran only for an hour and a few minutes, released in 2 versions; R-rated and PG-rated. When it comes to budget, one set could be revamped into a few outlook and supporting casts were also repetitive. Yet what so great about this movie is the 'happiness' adrenaline that you can feel while watching John Travolta made his dancing moves as Tony. With that list of songs, those kind of dance moves and many bad swearing, this movie seemed legit for that time and future to enjoy!

Fav. Quote: "Tony, the only way you're gonna survive is to do what you think is right, not what they keep trying to jam you into. You let 'em do that and you're gonna end up in nothing but misery!"

GREASE

Year Released: 1978

Genre: Musical

Director: Randal Kleiser

Budget: USD6 million

Profit: USD394,955,690

Return: 5046%

Comment: A year before was the beginning of the disco era and the 'Saturday Night Fever' still took its toll of success under the armpit of John Travolta's dancing moves. For us Malaysian, it was like the era of watching Dharma Harun sexy dancing moves with his slender (skinny and tall) body in 'Adik Manja'. Guess what? The movie production of 'Grease' took that popularity chance into the next level of dancing fame in film. But this time the movie didn't represent the 70s era, because it was adapted from a successful musical broadway of the same name that regulates around the teenagers lifestyle back in 1950s. To cut it short, there's a genius marketing strategy that didn't put a lot of cost to promote this movie—just put the deviation, and there it goes the success!

Fav. Quote: "It doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's what you do with your dancin' shoes."

DIRTY DANCING

Year Released: 1987

Genre: Dance/Romance

Director: Emile Ardolino

Budget: USD6 million

Profit: USD213,954,274

Return: 3466%

 Comment: If you read the history of how this movie was made and almost being rejected for screening, I bet everyone will reconsider their likeliness to even enjoy this movie. But it became a surprise hit, despite of its erotic and rhetoric dancing moves to reveal soft-porn in love, the storyline did deliver an honest tale. As you know, the era of 70s and 80s were the rising period of spreading sex and drugs in public, thus watching this movie during the era was like a mild journey of sex to love (after 'Blue Lagoon'!!!). It was even reported that the group of audience for this film was mostly adult although it was first meant to be targeted for teenagers. The funny part now is that, many thought this movie success was because of its storyline so it has been adapted into a few shows and entertainment programmes which none gained success. To me the success of this movie was because of the marvelous acting skills and a dance-film maker of exceptional sensitivity. Just like how many hit movies was made about dancing we watched lately.     

Fav. Quote: "It's not on the one, it's not the mambo. It's a feeling; a heartbeat."

PULP FICTION

Year Released: 1994

Genre: Pulp Crime

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Budget: USD8.5 million

Profit: USD213,928,762

Return: 2416%

 Comment: In my opinion, Quentin Tarantino is the man when it comes to making movie with lots of rampant ideas, immodest dialogues and crazy plots with so much fun to watch. He is even the idol of most young film-makers as he also a producer, a writer, a director and also an actor. He's considerably a genius in Hollywood's film industry because he plays by the odd and not likely care what the audience wants as long he's having fun making you watching it with pleasure! This movie is the starting point where the world started to notice Quentin Tarantino, closely. When you asked me what so good about this movie now, I would say NOTHING because I've seen many of its kind now. Yes, this movie is a cult! It has set an example of creativity gone wild and almost feels like a beautiful crime. But how come the budget so low with all the box-office casts? Don't bother, just ponder to what Tarantino envisioned for this movie with such a tight budget, and he nailed it good! After that, saying no to Quentin Tarantino and his idea was considerably the act of an idiot. 
Fav. Quote: "A royale with cheese... "

FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL

Year Released: 1994

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Director: Mike Newell

Budget: USD4.4 million

Profit: USD245,700,832

Return: 5484%

 Comment: All of the movies in this list are unexpected hits, so does this one. This movie was like a magical turning point for the acting career of Hugh Grant  while the co-star, Andie McDowell was quite somewhere in the mainstream of Hollywood fame. I'm not sure how many Americans were in this movie beside Andie McDowell, but majority were British a.k.a. English! But this is where you'll know why the unexpected becomes the expected when the writer and the director of this movie are what we know of them now. The writer of this movie was the founder of Comic Relief, the talented Richard Curtis whom later became success with other movies like the 'Notting Hill' (1999), 'Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001), 'War Horse' (2011) and 'About Time' (2013 ). Also the director of this movie was Mike Newell, which to my account a genius behind the movie of 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' (2005) and 'Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time' (2010). I believed there's a formula of 'English + American' that can bring box-office success to a movie. Maybe!

Fav. Quote: "I don't know... I suppose it's, uh, 'honey' because it's sweet as honey, and 'moon' because it's the first time a husband got to see his wife's bottom."

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

Year Released: 1999

Genre: found-footage horror

Director: Eduardo Sánchez & Daniel Myrick    

Budget: USD60,000

Profit: USD248,639,099

Return: 414,298%

Comment: Now... this is a real success of the unexpected hit! This is not only a comet but a big meteor that has brought Armageddon to the world's film industry by giving all the million budget movies a bloody punch to the face! This is the most unthinkable profitable movie project ever made. Really, it WAS! When it was first released, I didn't have to wait for the medias to market the movie to me, everyone was talking about it! Much worse everybody (even me!) thought it came from a real-footage that had been edited for public-screening worldwide. Not until sometimes later that I realized it was totally a fiction performed in the most cheapest and anomaly kind of way. This movie is the most famous cult that has inspired all found-footage movies that we've known of today, include the successful box-office of low-budget 'Paranormal Activity' series and high-budget 'Cloverfield' (2008). But you know what? The directors of this movie, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez are now still struggling to make another super hit movies, or maybe they don't as they are just playing lose with all their creations now. Meanwhile the casts, only Joshua Leonard was busy working as supporting actor in a small (almost unnoticed!) role in a few quite profitable projects like 'Prom Night' (2007) and 'Shark Night 3D' (2011). Wouldn't it be nice if the found-footage (or real-footage!) style of making movie could be patented... *sigh*  
Fav. Quote: "I'm afraid to close my eyes, I'm afraid to open them."

FAHRENHEIT 9/11

Year Released: 2004

Genre: Documentary

Director: Michael Moore    

Budget: USD6 million

Profit: USD222,446,882

Return: 3607%

Comment: Taking documentary into the fame of cinema is not an easy task. You need to master a good edit regime that will make audiences nailed into their seats for more than an hour and than come back again with new audience or promote it to other people to become an audience. Most importantly the documentary should be available during the heat of time when the agenda was mentioned or else, suffer the period of 'missing the point'. This is an 'anti-Bush' documentary movie released on Jun 2004 made by Roger Moore as purpose to bring down the Republican leader, George W. Bush during the United States presidential election held on November 2004, so the democratic party led by John Kerry could win. But instead, though this movie has made a global box-office success, George W. Bush still won his presidential seat until the financial crisis in 2008 brought him into justice, forced him to resign and then replaced by the new Democratic leader, Barack Obama. Now do you really think this movie could become a hit if not because of the issues and the period it was made for release, plus the analogical concept of its title? I think Michael Moore who is famous for his political cinematic works has unexpectedly nail the right trigger before his ability started to decline.
Fav. Quote: "You cannot kill someone without killing a part of yourself."

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING

Year Released: 2002

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Director: Joel Zwick    

Budget: USD5 million

Profit: USD368,744,044

Return: 7275%

Comment: What I remember when this movie came out, the world was in big crisis of terrorism issues that involved religious ethnic wars. Then came the Greek to conquer the cinemas worldwide! My editor had been talking about it, my friends did and so did my fans. But uptight with my schedule as a writer, sub-editor and comic artist, I didn't got the chance to watch the movie in that year, not until yesterday night (just for this review). So after 12 years since the Greek hit cinemas, my observation can only tolerate at one simple bind; everyone's acting was so convincing that I felt a lot for my Malay root in Greek! As Malay are likely a blend of Spice and Soup, so does Greek with the blend of Spaghetti and Grill, also African American are Coffee to Milk. And all can be very over-protective of their own native when it comes to mix-marriage (I believe most do until tradition is broken by freedom of choice). Come to think of it now, this movie cinematic adventure is not as great as how I've watched 'My Best Friend's Wedding' and not as romantically powerful as I've watched 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. But I think the word 'Greek' in its title, represented by the lively story of a Greek Family and positive approach to mix-marriage (fun scripts too!), does play quite a role for its biggest success, especially for United States after the 9/11. No pressure!

Fav. Quote: "Kimono, kimono, kimono. Ha! Of course! Kimono is come from the Greek word himona, is mean winter. So, what do you wear in the wintertime to stay warm? A robe. You see: robe, kimono. There you go!"

JUNO

Year Released: 2007

Genre: Comedy-Drama

Director: Jason Reitman   

Budget: USD7.5 million

Profit: USD231,411,584

Return: 2985%

Comment: Simple reason why this movie made a big hit, look at the main casts; Ellen Page (X-Men: The Last Stand), Michael Cera (Superbad), Jennifer Garner (Elektra) and Jason Bateman (Silver Spoons), then the director, Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking) and the producers; John Malkovich and Mason Novick. All these people received many awards before 'Juno' ever did. And this team has convinced to the audience of the talented writing work of Diablo Cody, which became another award winner who then created another not so success work but interesting to watch like 'Jennifer's Body' (2009) and 'Young Adult' (2011). I don't know what so great about Diablo Cody in a bigger way but I do fancy her story of 'Jennifer's Body' and 'Young Adult' more than 'Juno'. Thing is, this movie was supported by quite influential people in the industry to easily market and brought it to the awards stadium. I bet this movie also success because of a powerful networking among its team members to the public and business relations, especially that Mason Novick. Considerably everyone involved in this movie is talented people, I bet 'Juno' was exactly an expected hit but not to the account it reached above USD100 million, what's more the USD200 million hit! So to speak, Diablo Cody was fated enough with 'Juno', is all that matters. Done!  

Fav. Quote: "I'm just like losing my faith with humanity."

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3

Year Released: 2011

Genre: found-footage horror

Director: Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman 

Budget: USD5 million

Profit: USD207,039,844

Return: 4041%

Comment: The most successful movie in the category of found-footage was 'The Blair Witch Project' then came the 'Paranormal Activity' (2009) with budget only USD15,000 to gain profit (worldwide) of USD193,355,800 with gross return of 12,889% (not even close to win against 'The Blair Witch Project'). But this movie production (mostly led by Jason Blum and Oren Peli) has provided a formula or a franchise to be develop by others under their quality supervision. Simply said, the first success is not wasted by a continuity through sharing of expertise with others to generate the same horror at a different phase of creativity but under the same theme. So in this continuation, at least one (this one) reached profit above USD200 million and dropped profit with the next (Paranormal Activity 4) and dropped again with the latest (Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones), at constant USD5 million of budget. So when it comes to 'Paranormal Activity 5', I hope the idea will be refreshed! But referring to the list of Box Office Mojo, so far there are only 21 found-footage movies successfully available for worldwide record and the only reason of their success was because audience love the thrill of watching found-footage since the 'Cannibal Holocust' (1980), but too much of it (copycats!) is a promise of total failure. End!

Fav. Quote: "It’s a real life poltergeist. Kristi’s like Carol Anne."

So nobody can expect these movies to become hit, it was unplanned and like Mongul tried twice to invade Japan, both plan was thwarted by the attack of natural disaster (storm in 1274, typhoon in 1281), also like how winter saved Russia from the attack of Napoleon with Grande Armée (in 1812) and Hitler through Operation Barbossa (in 1941); taking these movies as inspirational success is seriously not a good point, but a lesson to be told, yes it is. I bet the success of this movies are despite of their low budget, the honest contribution of remarkable profit was convincingly derived by the good quality performance of directing, acting and best teamwork, which most successful big-budget movies contributed too. Therefore, it is best to build a team where you can give more jobs, good pay and best return of a movie to deliver more success in the future. 

"The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes." 

— Harold Prince