Ryon lee

1. Asian Cinema
Final Assignment
Name : Franqie Chan Jia Yi
Student ID : 2014050035
Course : Film & TV
Assignment : Final Thesis

2. Ryon Lee
Ryon Lee, a 42 years old Malaysia director. His hometown is Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang. He
is now working under SKT Media as a Creative Director.
He graduated from MIA with Film Production course in 1996. After graduation, he started to
work in a small company as a director. The program he directed shown in TV2 because during
that time Astro has just started the company and most of the audience choose broadcast TV such
as TV1, TV2 and so on. The program that he directed is a music show that showing local
Chinese singer with their music video. As that time, Malaysian song don’t have any music video.
So, he is also the director for those music video. In addition, he also join others small companies
to make films and TV programs.
Luck is not always by your side. During that year, Malaysia has a financial crisis that caused
Malaysia Film Industry cannot continue. As he studied also in theater, so he decided to go back
to theater industry. He taught theater in some school and he acted. He was a theater teacher in a
primary and secondary school in Kedah.
Time flies. He was in theater industry for 10 years long. In the 10 years, Malaysia Film Industry
has finally recovered. NTV 7 started to have Chinese Drama so as Astro also having a lot of
Chinese TV program. There were alot of people started to ask him, “won’t you want to come
back to this industry?” During that time, he was so afraid that the Film Industry will crash again
in the future, so he doesn’t dare to try. He watched how Film Industry collapsed, he didn’t have
much hope in the industry.
He said, “returns to the industry is really some kind of fate.” There was a phone in one night
from a stranger. The stranger is Director Chiu Keng Guan. He didn’t know who is Dir. Chiu that
time. Dir. Chiu has his contact through theater. This is because Director Ryon wrote some scripts
for theater and won 5 times continuously in the scriptwriting competition. This is the reason Dir.
Chiu want to look for him. So, Dir. Chiu ask him to write the script for [Woohoo] the first film
for him and also Dir. Chiu.
They feel so comfortable when they meet up as their thinking is almost the same. So they started
the film without worrying others thing. There are alot of artistic filmmakers in Malaysia such as
Tan Chui Mui, James Lee and so on. They made film for only joining the film festival, to win
award and many more but not for cinema showing purpose. So, both of them decided to make
film that can be show in cinema. So, he started to cooperate with Dir. Chiu and wrote 3 scripts,
[Woohoo], [Great Day] and also [The Journey].

3. He left theater and started to work in Astro for some TV program. A food recommended
program [Hua Hee Makan] and a travelling program [Big Bag Go Cuti]. He directed these
programs around 3 to 4 years and he also writing script during that period. He feels so lucky
because he keep meeting a lot of Film Industry people and help him in the industry. When
[Woohoo] not show in the cinema yet, Namewee wanted to make a film also. Coincidentally the
production team is the boss of him when he just graduated. So, he wrote [Nasi Lemak 2.0] for
Namewee. The box office for [Woohoo] and [Nasi Lemak 2.0] is quite high and make his
popularity higher.
After finished writing 7 scripts, a company looked for him to be a director to make movie. The
reason he accept this because the script is a ghost story. He wrote for Dir. Chiu is more to
dramatic, warm-hearted, Namewee is more like crazy and doesn’t make sense, so he wanted to
try something different and his grandparents passed away he has a hard time meanwhile he also
wanted to make a film that for Malaysia. He understands that to show Malaysia film is not only
using mix languages, but is to show something that different from others country, so he decided
to make the film call [The Transcend]. He added in some incidents happened on his grandparents
cemetery and the ghost incidents that happened around him to make the film more like
Malaysian.
He was born with interested in the Film Industry. Since he was a child, his parents always bring
him to watch movie and he think that film is a very good advocacy. He likes to read novels
instead of those theory books, or inspirational books. That’s actually made him a story teller. He
likes to listen to stories and at the same time, shared stories to others. That’s why most of his
film is actually sharing the story from part of his life.
All men did mistakes before so do him. He was a science student when he is in secondary school.
He took mathematic as his first subject when he was in Form 6 and he got a good result in it.
Many people think that study in science and mathematics subject will have a better future, so he
followed what others do. Nonetheless, one day afternoon when he was doing revision for STPM,
there was a thought, he was start to think that how his life going to be if he followed what others
do. He started to get what he want to studied in the future. He wanted to get his family
permission, but at that moment, most of the parents not really understand about the industry and
don’t let him to studied. Here he made the mistake. He said something that really hurt his mother
as he is very determined on his film dream. He get back into the industry is also because of this
mistakes he has made. He doesn’t want to let down his family because he hurt his family
member because of this but gain nothing in the industry. So he wanted to prove to his family that
he is on the right path.
On the other hand, he feels like want to make a film that really can show the characteristic of
Malaysia. When the film [I Not Stupid] is on the cinema, everybody out there was asking is this

4. a Malaysia film? Many of the audiences only talk about film from Thailand and Singapore, they
don't know that Malaysia also have their own film. He feels very bad about this so he wanted to
do some changes for Malaysia so that he wants to make Malaysia film industry grow up. So he
come back to film industry and continue his work.
He interested in both directing and scriptwriting. He said that writing script is very nice, because
you can imagine anything, you can write anything in your script make it very fascinating.
Nonetheless, whenever you give your script to others, you don't know how many percent will left
in the film just like you sent your child when he is young then meet him back in then you cannot
recognize him.
While, he said directing is a very exhausted job and also not really will have a good income as
Malaysia Film Industry is not so strong yet. The thing that will mostly lost is time when making
film because you need to stay in the production most of the time to get the things done. When his
first Chinese New Year Film [My PapaRich], he needed to run the whole Malaysia for the
conferences for the film. He doesn't have time to celebrate Chinese New Year with his family
and he feels so upset about this but this is what he wants, so he will continue to chase his dream.
He is a very sensitive and sensible person in life. This is because he went through depression
time. He knows how poor man feels. He had a struggling in his life before that's why he has a
tough heart and he wants to share his story to others. This is why he always add in something
happened in his life into his film to share his story indirectly. So most of his film contain of sad
and happy. He also not used to other genre of script because he never been through it. He cannot
write exactly the feeling of the character.
For example, in the film [Woohoo], there is a scene where they use "woohoo" to celebrate a
tradition. That is actually happened in his hometown where they need to pray with a big
ceremony to thank the god. While, [The Transcend] having the incident that happen during their
grandparents cemetery and for [Seventh] is about the weird thing happened in his life.
As a director, there will be facing some difficulties, so do him. The first film he had ever did is
[The Transcend] has a very bad box office as the film being show in a wrong timing. The
schedule of [The Transcend] to show is two weeks before Chinese New Year. This is a horror
film and Chinese people will feel very bad due to their tradition. This is the reason he has the
worst box office for his first movie. A current movie of him [The Dream Boyz], was having the
same problem with the scheduling time. The film is shown one week before Chinese New Year
and this is a Chinese film also, most of the Chinese audiences are busy preparing stuff for
Chinese New Year and also let the box office become quite bad. This is what he and others
directors in Malaysia face. The scheduling for showing the film is not really on the date they
wanted, because they need to apply for it and wait for the approval.

5. Due to the lesson he learnt, he doesn't want to happen again. For his second movie [Seventh] is
also horror genre movie, he manage to get a higher box office than [The Transcend]. [Seventh] is
a horror story that he heard from his friends and some strange and weird thing happened around
him. He combined all the concept and put it into the film and here he bring out [Seventh] a quite
successful film of him. He preferred horror genre film, he hopes that it could be him style by
making horror film as there is no Malaysian filmmaker did this. In addition, he found out that the
CGI team in Malaysia is full with potential, so he decided to make [Seventh] to show how good
CGI team in Malaysia.
Ryon Lee, as a new director in Malaysia, he faced a lot of problems too. This is because only
limited money for making a film, there is no extra budget for it and will face the stress given by
the government people. When they are watching the trail version film, they will start to comment
and say that no Malaysian audiences will watch this and need to do some changes as Malaysia
film can only be 100 minutes plus minus length, no audience will like to pay for a boring film.
Well, if you are not a famous director you have no chance to argue with them and only have to
obey them to get your work show in cinema.
As I mentioned, Malaysia film can only be 100 minutes plus minutes whereas foreign film can
have a 120 minutes plus minus length. This seem to be unfair but also a challenge to Malaysian
filmmakers. He said "some emotion in the film need some times to bring up, such as scary
moment and solemn moment, when you only have 100 minutes, there is not much time for you
to build it up". Skim Wajib Tayang, a company under FINAS that decided which film to be
shown in Malaysia Cinema. Last time, if foreign film tickets sold out, audiences still can choose
local film to watch. However, now whenever the tickets of foreign film sold out they will open a
new room for audiences and this crashed the local films. In Skim Wajib Tayang, if a local film
cannot reach the target they locked in four days, it will be taken out from the cinema. This is one
thing that he felt very upset in Malaysia Film Industry.
For him, to solve these problems, is to be hardworking. Have a good conversation with the
government for your film. Not only shooting, film is all about planning, production and post
production, all is about time. You need to plan when is your show scheduling so that can lessen
the harm toward the film. He said that he is still a learner, he learnt the lesson and he has a good
box office for his new Chinese New Year film [My PapaRich]. He managed to get a higher box
office.
On the other hand, he is very particular in choosing the actor and actress. He would use a film
actor better than a TV program or drama actor. There are some differences between these two.
He will choose a more sensible and good acting actor to be in his film, so he keeps looking for
good actor all the way he is making film. He will use the same actor again if the actor has the

6. potential to do it. However, audiences will feel fed up if keep watching the same actor or actress.
He will start to work with oversea actors so that can improve his film.
As a new director, he still in learning process. He wanted to learn more in this industry, from the
first film he made was horror genre, then a more youth genre drama, until now is a bit crazy and
dramatic film. He wanted to try more genre of film and improve Malaysia film industry. He is
currently in the production for a new horror genre film and another dramatic film and very
different from his previous work. He said "This is the new challenges for me"
He doesn't feel satisfied for the box office of all his film. [The Journey] can made 180 billion of
box office while he only managed to get 310 million box office. He hopes to get a better box
office after this and he believes that making Malaysia film success can lead the investors to be
more faith in local film and willing to support the film production.
He is currently working closely with China production team to make a film. As he works in this
industry for years, he heard that want to be a China director is very hard because the competition
between each other is very high. He feels lucky that he able to be the director for one China film.
He working in a production and wrote 3 scripts for China production team. For him, your work
speak for you, and will lead you to the brighter future. Be yourself and don't be arrogant.
His dream is to make a film that Malaysian can feel proud with it and can against the foreign
film. Award, is not the first target of him making film, but is the feeling of Malaysian, how proud
they are to show the Malaysia film to foreign. He hopes to build up the Film Industry in
Malaysia and make film faithfully because for him, has a chance to make film is not that easy, he
wants every filmmaker to appreciate it and make Malaysia Film Industry into international. He
said "The only way to make the dream come true is keep on working and don't give up"
For all the statement I wrote above is get from a small interview I had with him through
Facebook. I really admire him as he really a great filmmaker that others should know.