Few visual storytelling mediums can capture the rawness of the human spirit the way documentaries do. Capturing and retelling events as they occurred, documentaries They possess the unique power to educate, inspire, and shed light on untold stories. Documentary storyteller Ong Kah Jing, more widely known as OKJ, to foray into filmmaking and continue his pursuit of this format.
OKJ’s first documentary was made during an expedition to Komodo National Park, a place teeming with biodiversity and natural beauty. But beyond capturing the breathtaking landscapes on site, OKJ sought to explore and record the delicate balance between ecosystems and the profound impact humans have on them.
This experience struck a chord with OKJ. Something about the unfiltered authenticity of films and how they brought attention to critical issues inspired him to delve deeper into the art of documentary filmmaking.
“Much of my inspiration comes from the serendipities of life. Rather than focusing on topics, I am lucky to have stumbled onto opportunities to tell stories in a way that gives them justice .”
As with many professions, becoming a successful documentary filmmaker takes more than pure passion, it demands filmmakers to strike a delicate balance between artistic pursuits and practicality. Along his journey, OKJ had to master the art of transitioning between passion projects and commissioned works by meticulously dividing up his time for both. Perspective helps, too. By considering both commissioned work and personal projects as opportunities for meaningful storytelling, OKJ was able to weave both into his schedule without feeling compromised.
"I personally do not see my commissioned and passion projects to be separate. I’m lucky enough to have worked on commissioned projects that I felt strongly passionate about. Similarly, I do hold commercial ambitions for self-initiated documentaries that I’ve made during my sabbatical this year." OKJ shares.
While endeavouring to bring his documentaries to life, OKJ took a bold step by self-funding his project "A Feeling of Music Playing", in a way that departed from traditional funding models. Instead of relying solely on external funding, OKJ regarded the documentary as a complete art piece and sought to generate returns from it.
This approach led OKJ to take calculated risks, doing justice to the story while ensuring fair compensation for everyone involved. The challenges of creating an exceptional film while building a sustainable business model around it were formidable, to say the least But the resulting film would eventually pay off, resonating deeply to a nearly sold out premiere audience at Singapore's largest Dolby Atmos cinema, the 602-seater GVMax at Vivocity.
For OKJ, success as a filmmaker isn’t simply measured by box office numbers or critical acclaim. Instead, he looks at three distinct measures to evaluate the quality of his films:
”Particularly with ‘A Feeling of Music Playing’, I believe that we can not only do well across all three measures, but become a point of reference for other filmmakers to explore manifesting their visions and building a sustainable model for both artistic and financial success”
But perhaps the greatest validation would come from a fellow filmmaker. Alex Oh, an award-winning film and TV composer, as well as founder of audio post-production company White Noise Music, describes his experience with the A Feeling of Music Playing as one that, “captured the feeling that all musicians are familiar with when playing. Some call it ‘improvising’. Others say it’s about being ‘in the zone’ or their very own ‘secret place’ where you get lost and from where creativity flows. Whatever you call it, it’s something that I am intimately familiar with as a musician, and is something that I’ve always found difficult to describe. But that feeling is exactly what OKJ has captured in film.”
When asked if he would have done anything differently, OKJ answers with an emphatic ‘no’. “Every step that I have taken was made based on lessons of the past. Change anything and my course may have been altered completely. He goes on to contemplate the importance of learning from fellow collaborators and how other dedicated filmmakers have contributed towards his growth and shaped his path.
“I often reflect in awe with the people I work with on how we have grown, and what we may do in the future that we thought was out of reach today. We laugh at the moments that we may once shed blood, sweat, and tears for. Then we continue walking on, grateful that we can still continue to do it.”
For OKJ, the future continues to brim with excitement and opportunities. Rather than letting "A Feeling of Music Playing" become the epitome of his success, he plans to build upon this victory and embark on global tours to share his unique perspective with an even more diverse audiences.
Already, OKJ has a new portrait documentary series titled "A Piece of Mine" in the works. This short film series is sponsored by a Presenting Patron. And, that’s not all. True to his commitment to education, OKJ also has plans to travel with his "Mandarin Chinese and Me" documentary series around Singapore to enrich the perspectives of youths on their relationship with their mother tongue.
For aspiring documentary storytellers, OKJ advises them to recognise their innate talent and always remain grateful for their supporters while embracing the challenges ahead.
“Being honest with myself whenever I’m am at crossroads has served as mya compass for me. On this For a journey that is ever uncertain, and that brings about implications both personally and the people around me, I think it is healthy to be gung ho. You shouldn't hesitate or have doubts once you decide to step up and take the leap of faith, and this is the way I cope with that pressure.”
To view OKJ’s growing collection of work, subscribe to his YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/okjworks
