This documentary entails a Malaysian wheelchair athlete, Daniel Lee, who refuses to let his disability stand in the way of his dreams of becoming a paralympic athlete. We interviewed Tung Jing Yan (JY), the man behind this short documentary that won him our World of Film 2021 filmmaking challenge to learn more about his journey as a filmmaker and his experience working with our gear.

JY’s filmmaking journey

While studying in Taiwan, JY was tasked to translate documentary pieces. His fascination with their ability to transform lives inspired him to become a documentary filmmaker and use his videography abilities to share impactful stories with the world. JY also emphasises the importance of tenacity as a documentarian, “You are constantly searching for stories, meeting strangers and exploring new places. [Thus,] you must have the courage to approach subjects to better comprehend the true narrative....”

“Push to Inspire” is JY’s proudest film because he witnessed firsthand its positive impact on the disabled community in Malaysia. “I feel honoured to have met so many awesome people and communities following Daniel’s path,” he said. Filming documentaries is a constant learning process, and receiving recognition from the World of Film 2021 has given JY the confidence to keep pushing forward and trusting the process.

A brief account of Daniel

Daniel Lee's journey has been arduous since being born with Type 1 Osteogenesis Imperfecta,a rare condition in which his bones are extremely brittle. He discusses the hardships of being Malaysia's only competitive wheelchair-racing athlete and what drove him to take up sports.

Daniel lives by a quote by the acclaimed philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “He who has a ‘why’ to live for can bear almost any ‘how’”. This quote motivated him to overcome his perceived limitations to pursue wheelchair racing and compete in the Paralympics despite his country’s inadequate resources, including the lack of a training coach and budget allocated. He is also a motivational speaker and currently promoting All Ability Sports in Malaysia to allow disabled persons equal access to sports.

Filming with Sony’s gear

Instinctively, producing a documentary is never without impediments. JY encountered difficulties filming and interviewing Daniel amid Malaysia's lockdown, which delayed his film schedule.Nevertheless, he was able to tie things up and complete the production by December of last year. JY filmed using two cameras, with the Cinema Line FX3 as his primary camera and the Alpha 7S III being his run-and-gun camera.

When addressing the FX3, JY stated: “The biggest highlight for this camera is its compact size,which allowed me to record fast-moving shots entirely on my own.” He appreciated the camera's superb image quality, particularly in low-light situations, and the ability to shoot slow-motion footage in 4K 120p.

He was also able to boost the audio quality of this documentary by connecting the XLR-3KM microphone with the FX3's built-in XLR adaptor and digital input.

JY was pleased with his secondary camera, the Alpha 7S III, citing: “The camera was not only portable and lightweight, but its colour science was also remarkably comparable to that of the FX3.” This aided him in streamlining his post-production workflow and facilitating his colour grading process. “Most notably, I’m impressed by its ability to instantly switch between capturing stills and video recording using the camera’s custom buttons,” JY continued.

Pairing the FX3 with the SELP1635G lens has enabled the camera to realise its full power zoom prowess. Furthermore, this power zoom lens provided JY with the convenience of manually adjusting aperture settings by simply turning its dial. It offered him the most expedient means to change his camera settings when time was of the essence. “Its compact size also came in handy for filming close-ups and tight spaces,” he commented.

Advice from the filmmaker

JY’s life philosophy is to “Seek Discomfort”, quoted from a YouTube channel called Yes Theory.He believes one must leave their comfort zone in order to achieve their dreams and hopes that more filmmakers will share their struggles and motivate each other. JY also urges beginners to make films they believe in that will transform society rather than for fame and likes.

Do you have a creative idea that you wish to bring to life? No matter your level of expertise, we want your stories heard. Share your most daring film ideas with us in this year’s World of Film filmmaking audition and stand a chance to showcase your creative flair!

To learn more about the Sony Asia Pacific World of Film filmmaking challenge, visit https://www.sony-asia.com/microsite/world-of-film/.

Find out more about JY’s creative process with these behind-the-scenes videos: