Breakin' It Down!

Bravo YKLS!!! Fabulous performance, great energy! Susanna and whoever who ran the production, congratulations!

I love the education behind the show. Great job YKLS. I hope more general public (and not only music lovers) came to the show, and looking forward to raising the music awareness among people here.

Thanks Yaw, Nilesh, Chong Yew, and Tian Kiat for making the band blended well with the choir. I dont feel the band was disturbing like the first time I heard, Thanks the shadow fingers master Cher Siang! LOL

Michael, you deserved the biggest compliment of the night. Every movement they made gave me spine-tingling excitement... my hair stood dude! I even curi curi took pictures with my cellphone.

Young KL Singers are singing Jazz @ KLPac.
http://ykls.blogspot.com/

Inner Voices Online!

I finally uploaded all videos and audio files from our concert @ KLPac, "Let's Go Mamak"
Check it out @ "Show Reel" page
Inner Voices Official Site

Life is beautiful

Almost fell asleep at mamak... cold wind woke me up, and whispered at my ears. She says,

"Life is beautiful because it's tough sometimes. Life is even more wonderful when u are enjoying every bit of it after the years of toughness."

Nah, just being corny.


The show is getting near, Julan is coming home soon, all stuff gotta be ready by hook or by crook... Very stressful, but I savour the process. The stress makes me feel that I am alive again, maybe for the first time since I got home.
The process is never easy... setting up the direction and finding the mutual thoughts, understanding the strength of each person in this mamak gang, writer block (again) and the "Oh F*ck I'm Screwed!" realization, some kinda lost and found where we let go Mr. "Timberlake" and got back our Mr Tay, spending long hours with the ethnic guys and experimenting, every bit of revealing the syncreatic voices in this society or simply the tone I'm trying to define mamak, cruelly deleted those unwanted stuff (and regretted most of the time, duh!)... never been easy dude. The way of living I am having now is definitely making my life short and moreover I don't get a cent out of it... But ya, I'm really savouring every moment to get there.

I'm recalling those days I spent long hours with homeless around westwood and santa monica, trying to find new ideas out of their life, meanwhile, digging some inner voices of myself... those days are tough, but invaluable. The moment my tears almost dropped when one of them came to the screening of a film I scored, priceless.

Why do I want my difficult life now? maybe for the sake of determining? maybe to prove something? That I'm not sure.
For the minute of having the pricelessness again, yes I wanna feel that again, in my own country.

BTW, saw this name somewhere online...
Du, Julan (杜巨瀾). Hey he's an assistant professor! Don't play play. LOL.

Finally...

My name on IMDB... although it's just a small credit.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1236436/fullcredits

Let's Go Mamak!!

Website is still under construction. So... be patient.

Ken Hor - Composer, Music Director
Julian Chan - Co-Music Director / Band Leader
Kay-Ti Tan - Creative Consultant (Marketing and Promotion)

Jazz Band
Julian Chan - Saxophone, Flute
Eddie Wen - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Justin Lim - Piano, Synthesizers
Nazrin Nasir a.k.a. AJ - Bass
Martin Ngim - Drums
Fung Chern Hwei - Strings

Ethnic Ensemble
Shamsul Zin - Cak Lempong, Gamelan
KamrulBahri Hussin - Malay Percussion, Winds
Rishi - Tabla, Indian Drums
Sesatra - Indian Flute
Bernard Goh and Hands - Chinese Drums
Lim Hui Chieh - Gu Zheng

"The Wait" Full Length

Finally uploaded the film after 6 months. Check it out.
Click here to watch the film



Neogiovannism Films Presents
A Silver Fish Production
A Giovanni Chen Film

Yuh Wen Fong Steven Toh Sandra Foo

Music by Ken Hor
“The Wait” End Credit List
Click here to watch the film



PS: This is a draft, an incomplete list... not in proper order
Edited by Giovanni Chen
Art Director - Mireia Rey Moreno
Director of Photography - Marcel J. Rodriguez
Executive Producer - Giovanni Chen
Produced by Ken Hor, Steven Toh
Screenplay by Giovanni Chen, Lionel Chan
Directed by Giovanni Chen
Opening Credit by Wei Loon Chow
Production Coordinator - Meei Tyng Wong
Production Assistant - Chun Ling Lau, Kean Lee
Motion Graphic Designer - Jason Ong
Assistant Editor - Pei Yee Lee
All music and sound mixed and mastering by Ken Hor

Sound Department
Foley Engineer Ong Bee Wah, Poh Phun
Foley Artist Ong Bee Wah, Poh Phun, Lee Aik Hooi, Lee Pei Yee, Cheng Siao Chiat, Loke Xiao Yun
Foley Mastering Engineer Kevin Liew
ADR Engineer Lee Pei Yee (Malaysia), Ken Hor (Los Angeles)

Orchestrator and Conductor Ken Hor
Additional Music (Bagua Opening) Lee Aik Hooi
Scoring Assistant and Copyist Lee Aik Hooi
Music Supervisor Lee Aik Hooi (Malaysia), Fung Chern Hwei (New York)
Score Recordist Ong Bee Wah (Malaysia), Fung Chern Hwei (New York)

USA Musicians
Solo Clarinet Eugene Pook
Violin Tan Ka Ming
Cello Lisa Kursel

Malaysia Musicians
Solo Voice Chew Paul Way
Solo Violin and Viola Fung Chern Hwei
Solo Trumpet Isaac Chia
Violin Brian Tan, Dennis Lau, Jenn
Viola Lau Yew Hann
Cello Cheng Siao Chiat, Lee Pei Yee
Piano Lee Aik Hooi, Ken Hor
Synth Ken Hor
Additional Voice Tan Shenq Nan, Ken Hor

End Credit Song "Wait"
Music and Lead Vocalist Heidi Loh
Lyrics Heidi Loh, Giovanni Chen
Band Dire Dilemmas - Lionel (Drums), Jeremy (Bass, Guitar), Agnes (Keyboard)
Producer and Arranger Ken Hor, Cheng Siao Chiat
Recording Engineer Vee Voon Haw

Studios
Film Score, Dubbing Stage, Mixing and Mastering, Foley University Putra Malaysia, Serdang Malaysia
Film Score AMPAC, Damansara Malaysia
Chern Hwei’s Home Studio, New York
Goh’s Home Studio, Wisconsin
Encore Music, TTDI Malaysia
End Credit Song Recording 101 Studio, SS3 Malaysia
ADR Recording Pablo's, Westwood, Los Angeles
Foley Mastering King Studio, Petaling Jaya Malaysia

Special Thanks
USA
Billie Lim Chia
Pablo Matilla
Pablo Eyre
Chia Joon Loo
Khar Hooi Choo
Kean Sin Yeoh
Siao Lay Wong
Weng Mun Lan
Sandra Foo
Yan Ling Liew
Nikki Hwang
David Tan
Ai Shen Liew
Connie Charoonsrisavasd
Miqi Huang
Goh Chia Chien
Minh Do (UCLA Extension ISO Office)
Michael Lammers (UCLA Extension Entertainment Office)
(Special thanks to Goh Chia-Chien for kindly lending his basement bathroom as our recording studio in Winconsin, US)

Malaysia
Kevin Liew (King Studio)
Brian Tan (AMPAC)
Pete Teo
Chan Soo Wei
Justin Lim
Julian Chan
Vincent Kang
Lee Aik Hong
Moh Cheong Fong
Liu Chee Chau
Adrin Teo
Lau Chooi Wee
Encore Music Sdn Bhd, TTDI, Malaysia

University Putra Malaysia Music Department, Serdang, Malaysia
Dr. Zahid Emby
Dr. Chan Cheong Jan
Arif Zain Yusof Ali
Najimuddin Zakaria
Amir Nordin Abu Bakar
Joariniah Deraman
Musripah Sindin


© 2006 - Hor Fook Ken. All rights reserved.

Giovanni's film "The Wait" Poster.

More info at http://web.mac.com/hfken/iWeb/Wait


Neogiovannism Films Presents
A Silver Fish Production
A Giovanni Chen Film

Yuh Wen Fong, Steven Toh, Sandra Foo

Music by Ken Hor

Updated scores...

Just update the Wait film score page, with 2 cues... check it out. 
http://web.mac.com/hfken/iWeb/Wait

Thanks Paul Way, Pookini... and many others. Love you guys. :D

Summer Dawn

I thought of my grand ma everytime I listened to this old work of mine. I wrote this for a class I took in UCLA, in summer 2 years ago around the same time as now, september, summer, and was done on monday early morning. my 2nd year in LA when I did this, my 2nd summer in Westwood. The music was then used in a gig i was working on in December the same year.


If the plugin doesn't work, try this - http://web.mac.com/hfken/iWeb/Music/Scores_files/SummerDawn.mp3

I like dawn, waiting for the 1st of light of the day. I actually wrote this for my grandmother. It didn't take me too long to come out with the theme and scratch, because the thought was so strong.

The beginning child-like theme is me infront of my grandma, she likes to listen me on piano. the main theme with groove is describing each time at which daylight first begins.... getting brighter when it goes to piano improvising with the main theme. the middle part piano solo is all about my grandma, her kindness, tenderness... then comes back to dawn theme, finally back to me playing piano as a child for her.

My family was going back to my hometown to visit her 5 years ago. I decided to stay at the very last minute for a small project. I didn't sleep that night for this project. I completed the mixing just before dawn. When I step out the room for a cigarette, a sudden light made me blink... i thought of grandma at that very moment.

She passed away in that morning...


_______________

Ok.... enough with sentimental thought... before it gets a bit corny. Ok.. did this all in Reason. played it in one by one...
The main theme is made up with Cm9 Cm13 Cm9 FM7/C then 2nd time go to 3 weird chords (they're hella beautiful for me)
Development part is sentimental like - Cm Fm7 Bb7 EbM7 AbM7 DbM7 Dm7 G(b13)...
ps: actually sometimes when you see me doing the piano solo part, not most of the time... I mean sometimes laaa... that means either I was lazy, which has been seldom, or I was rushing out work and I was running out of time... so just Hantam la. LOL.
then back to main theme again.
The idea is pretty simple - Intro (free time), Main theme, Development (free time), Main theme, Recap of Intro (free time).

So far this is the one I played my heart the best at the time I was working.

New stuff

Check this out...
Music for James and Paul Way, tryout @ Paulway's

Go Miqi go Miqi !!!!

A film I scored in June 2006 was selected into a few festival, after International Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival...
Proud of you Miqi...
Check out the short on Ken's youtube

1:55:40 AM miiqiihuang@: a watermelon seed had been selected into Austin Woman's Film, Music & Literary Festival
1:55:41 AM miiqiihuang@: and
1:55:53 AM miiqiihuang@: Sunscreen Film Festival (in Florida)
1:56:04 AM miiqiihuang@: just think u might interesed
2:00:48 AM hfken@hotmail.com: :)

I'm still alive

Dude, 'm just too busy... Haven't said a word since new year.
I was sick over the new year weekends.
had a happening weekend - Sunday casting audition of Silver Fish Film, then hung out with some Malaysians for Karaoke in San Gabriel.
Yesterday, we had a farewell party for Fumi, my dearest roommate... And I made KFC again. HAHA. He is going bak to Japan 6 hours later for interviews to get into pilot school... cool huh? his dream since childhood.

Doing another track for Mo's album
Will start doing the end credit of Silver Fish, soon.
Another track for Zino, the german rapper.
Preparing the copyright sheet for the music I did for a feature, the bathroom short, and the Zombie short...

So.... I am still alive, and doing pretty well this month.

A Temp Track

Rambling on Jan 12 - Finally I replace the auto-play track with link to the song, 手紙 at my Silent Diary ...
手紙 - a Temp Track

The ‘temp track’, a temporary mock-up of a film's soundtrack, is assembled from pre-existing music prior to the real, commissioned score being composed. It is a "blueprint" for the film score

... alright it sounded like I copied from somewhere. I was my note I jotted down in film scoring class laaa... I already memorized it, like a piece of roti tisu!

This is what I keep listening to now... a temp track for the end credit of the film I'm working on now.
I don't understand Japanese, but it's definitely a charming song... I've been listening to it nonstop since an hour ago, I kinda hate it now. LOL.

When doing the song, I shouldn't listen to it anymore. You can only listen to it before you start doing it... It's just my rule.
And actualy it's true! If my itchy finger go click this song when I'm working on it.... hell, the outcome will sound like the original no matter how hard I try to get rid of it.

The song should play automatically and NONSTOP... so, get what I mean? I bet you wanna leave here, right now.
AIYO, there is a button you can press and get it shutup, DUH!

HEY, Check out my baby girl on the side column, scroll down... Pretty eyes huh?

'm really working

Sorry for being disappeared on MSN or whatever messenger. I'm really working. If I don't finish this, I don't have a peaceful Christmas. Solving some technical error (my fault) of this cue. The director finally changed to a more compatible frame rate - 29.97 drop frame... but I was still working on 25 fps.... another disaster.

~ A message
Alright, some little things went wrong. I totally forgot about the frame rate when I started working yesterday. When i realized this morning, it was too late. 
I already fixed these two scenes - Dream and Sex scenes. The last two scenes where Monica is leaving and he is alone were totally messed up. I still need time to fix them. 

James, again, sorry for my carelessness, and apologize if this delay causes any inconvenience. 

Just being sagittarius

Alright, I'm a sluggish, I'm clumsy... Just I don't like writing my blog on iWeb (a supplement web tools that comes together with Mac computer) anymore... So, I spent one whole day 24 hours working on this, coming back to blogspot.

Anyway, just being a real brainless sagittarius... I just did what I wanted to do, just follow the arrow dude. and finally, here I am - back to blogspot.

WORSE thing... meeting James (The director of the short I'm scoring now) tomorrow after lunch.... kinda in deep shit, and OKKKIIEE, the principle of Realization applies!

The Circle of Composing Gig
Hyper-Inspired Beginning, then the clearly stated period of 9 stages
Red underlined is the stage I am in now.

1. Always an Excessively Perfect LONG Draft

2. So-called "Writer Block" Realization

3. Proscrastinate (Often a House Cleaning Season)

4. Hyper-Motivated "The Deadline Factor" Realization

5. Draft-to-Craft Aggressiveness

6. The "Oh F*ck I'm Screwed!" Realization

7. Everything Cram

8. 24hrs Deadline (AFTER) Cram

9. After War Knock-out Celebration

Sooooo, Get ready for the CRAMMING proccess

DUH

OBSTACLE OF LOVE, Casting Audition in Los Angeles

Location in Los Angeles

This is a low budget short film and possibly an award-winning script, about 20-40 minutes in length. As long as you are interested and confident in meeting the requirements, we would love to meet you!!! We are devoted to creating art in the form of film and are planning to submit this film to festivals nationwide. We sincerely look forward to meeting people who are passionate about acting and the craft of filmmaking. Please, serious inquiries only.

STORY PLOT
This is a story about love, trust, patience, and persistence between two young married couples.
• Imagine your marriage is not consummated
• Imagine your husband is hiding something from you
• Imagine your online friend, who you share your secrets with, was actually your spouse...
Written and will be directed by Giovanni Chen

INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS
• Auditions will be held between Dec 26th and 30th, in Los Angeles. Finalized time and location will be informed to all applicants.
• Sides (audition material) will be provided prior audition.
• The film will be shot in January until early February
• DISCIPLINE and RESPONSIBILITY are mandatory for each individual
• We are willing to work out a flexible schedule that works for everyone
• Non-Union gig
• No payment but excellent experience, credits and copies in returns

Do not hesitate to email us at neogiovannismfilms@yahoo.com with the following attachments:
• 2 recent pictures, one close up, one full body shot
• Contact information (Name, phone number, email, etc.)
• Language fluency – Mandarin and Cantonese preferred (Languages other than Chinese are welcomed)
• Ethnic heritage
• Acting history

CASTING
• Actors with strong acting skills who are able to perform realistically, improvise dialogue, and control their emotions/mood (like laugh and cry instantly). New faces are welcomed.
• We prefer Chinese applicants (Mandarin or Cantonese speakers), but we also welcome other Asians.

1. Male / 18-30 yrs. Requires Nudity (Top). This character is a pessimistic and aimless engineer who works in an office. The actor should be comfortable having his shirt unbuttoned.

2. Female / 18-30 yrs. This character is an adorable homemaker. The actress should be skilled in imitating. The ability to write Chinese is a plus.

3. Female / 18-30 yrs. Chinese or Cantonese speakers preferred (not necessary fluent). This character is a college student cum a part time prostitute, cheerful, and laughs easily.

New Mix

Click here to listen to the new mix of Arizona, with production sound

Click here to watch the video clip, and my ramblings about this project.

Current Affairs & Ramblings...

Maurico’s Album
- R&B-Pop, Justin Timberlake kinda stuff, a bit of hip-hop taste
- Still arrangement stage
- Will soon go to studio... means it will be finished soon! Yeah!


James Jauregui’s Film
- In progress... still. More info click here

Giovanni Chen’s Film
- Will start composing the end credit song. He will start shooting in January, and I will only get to score it when he gives me the final cut. This film will be a blast in festivals!
More info click here

Orchestral Score for Ken’s Premiere
- Seems like I can’t make it. But I will try my best.

O ya, WanJun told me that her album will launch soon in KL and Taipei. can’t wait to see that! I composed 4 tracks for her, Justin did about another 4 tracks.



HALLOWEEN AFTERMATH........

So Halloween has come and gone.

Had some happening time with Nori and Fumi. We went to Indian’s Oven, a restaurant near by my apartment. I brought too many business to them - ChernHwei, Doreen, my roommates (so many times!), Connie, and on Halloween Nori!!! One of the workers there even called me name. I forgot his name thou... Anyway, they serve real good indian food, even better than most of those I had back home.

Sorry, no pictures to show. I think I should take some when I go there next time.

Something really awesome. We passed by a corner house on the way walking to Indian’s Oven, and there was an open-house show, by the neighborhood (I supposed). They play little opera (haha I don’t know the term, Chern Hwei said Bangsawan, funny). They played american folk stories, bedtime stories, like our chinese opera. Many people, in fact families, were standing around the small little stage and enjoying. They seems like dressed up a lil to attend the “Bangsawan”, showing some respect! I looked like a homeless that day with my green sweater on.

Felt warm in my heart to see people here still trying to maintain their cultures, and remind me about my homies back home... I’ve never seen Chinese Opera (DAI HEI) since long time ago. The last time I saw it was when I went to Penang. Many old things are fading... really sad! I can’t imagine what I can show my children in future. I don’t them to see everything online.... and accidentally click some porn links!

Weeeellll, Halloween is their big day... and they really celebrate it hell out of them!! I had crazy halloween celebrations for the past 2 years, and I was a demon cow (actually not... a female cow with huge nippers). I didn’t join my friends this year. Doreen and Weiyann asked me to go to the Gay Parade, which is a big attraction in LA. I missed a big Malaysian party in Alhambra coz I didn’t get a ride.
But I rather stayed at home, had some drinks with Nori, had a good sleep, then worked the next day.

Meanwhile, we had some great chat during dinner. Some really sensitive topics popped up when we talked about cultures. Fumi and Nori are very interested about Malaysia, and don’t understand how our life look like there. I told them we have real indian food there, and Fumi questioned me “have you been to India? They must be different.” Got a bit harsh at one point...
O hell, we Malaysians maintain our culture very well, somehow, still doing what our nenek moyang (ancestor) were doing. He just doesn’t understand how Malaysia was brought up by 3 main ethnic groups, and we are strongly holding our religions and cultures. At least we are still eating real Chinese, Malay, Indian food back home! China mainland people don’t have religion, Taiwanese are just too modern to do old folk stuff. Chinese in Thailand and Indonesian.... they can barely write their own name!

Talking about China, Nori started venting... kept criticizing China lying about the NanJing assassination.. like China always lies about the amount killed. I got a bit harsh too! I don’t know how many exactly, I ain’t surprised at all if Chinese lie. Chinese are always big-mouth, no doubt! But does it mean Japanese didn’t kill a lot of people when they invaded mainland? Hell! I asked him if he saw those pictures, human stacked up like a hill, the way they killed babies, and what about the fucking crazy experiment of bacteria weapon on real human? FUCK!
and I am not forgetting Japanese came to Malaysia before, and we heard lots of stuff from our parents, not magazine. When talking about NanJing, I see from the point of view of a Malaysia, a person out of China. I say no shit for China, But, I’m a living human and can’t accept the fact - not a murder case, not killing people parties.... it’s far more crazier than that, it’s an assassination of a nation, at the highest magnitude!

We got a bit harsh, but not fighting at all... at one point he tried to change topic. Then I thought why are we doing this? I’m glad that I know such a great guy... who the hell cares what happened in past. We got out of the topic, and I glad we did.

All in all, exactly had 3 huge bottles of Miller Draft, few cups of wine... No more left... Dudes lets gather again when I get my shit done, I’ll definitely drink you under the table, see who falls drunk first.

Nori, is definitely one of the best friends I have in LA, and I definitely my pleasure! Friendship is far more important than those stupid history. Those stupid stuff our nenek moyang did... forget and move on!

Youtube Sharing

I'm done with Zombie!!! errr... no?

The director, surprisingly, got some budget to bring the short to a studio. I will get at least a flute, and some brass, hopefully a sax. So, more work to do? Give me a few more bucks...

Check out the audio, My Hubby is a Zombie @ Kenhor.com

Pretty interesting story, a new short film about zombie. I'm just doing an additional music, and not the main composer.
A guy was dead in a car accident, came back home because he loves his girl friend too much. But he could only say I love you.
He wasn't doing good. Vacuuming the garden, gas blower in the living room, use dishwasher as clothes dryer... he messed up the breakfast he prepared for girl friend. He was fuck-up.
And worst thing was he always broke his own organ... hands, legs and even head always got chopped up.

He started eating human for healthy organs - legs hands, and even penis, and last a brain so that he could have sex with her.
He wanted to think and do more than I love you....

No more story, can't tell everything...