Run Pola Run

Run Pola Run, don't let the kitty catch ya!

A design based on Paul Lalo, one of my best friends at uni.

I named this character Pola, which is a contraction of Paul Lalo. “Run Pola Run” is a friendship gift to Mr. Lalo. I find it funny that Paul is sometimes worried by little things, even though he’s such a tall guy. Often he’ll say ‘No SEN no!’ and ‘don’t do this!’ when there’s nothing to worry about.

A tall man being chased by a little cat has become a theme gag in a lot of my creations. “Run Pola Run” was started as a second year assignment but developed it further in my experiments for Poles Apart. It was so much fun I decided to put him in other films as an extra character and running gag.

Check out the series here:

*(Run through the Park)
Run Pola Run

*(Run through the Swamp)
Run Pola Run 2

*(Run through the Poles Apart)
Run Pola Run 3

*(Run through the Corner Store)
Run Pola Run 4

and more...

The Book Eating Buffalo

The buffalo - is a clumsy and stupid animal which is often used for farming in the Malaysian kampung. The cute fat buffalo I have in my film is a book lover and he is always hungry. He thinks that by eating books he can increase his brainpower.

Malay Dude

Malay Teacher - I knew a teacher like this when I was in school, a man who ate more than he taught.

Malay School Girl

A Malay School Girl - Impatiently waiting for the bus. In Fact, the buses are never on time in Malaysia!

Kids Playing Gasing

Some kids playing "Gasing".

"Gasing", a traditional game popular among Malays in the old days, known in English as spinning top. In rural areas, gasing contests were held during the rice-ripening season. Kampung villagers believed that the spinning tops would help bring them a prosperous harvest season.













The Indian Boy, a cliché of a fat bully, a character in all children’s life.

*NOTE*
Just for the film only ok, there's no racism issues here. ;p

*Staring by Benjamin Drake*













The Sikh Boy, a Sikh boy with an under turban.












The Crying Boy, a kid that has been bullied by others.

The Satay Guy

Satay Guy

A kampung Satay vendor normally comes with a box of satays on the back of his scooter. His costume is a reference to Bruce Lee, my hero when I was a kid. His helmet is jumping around when animated, it is loose and untied. It is a fact, however, that people in the kampung never wear helmets when riding anyway.

Age: 20 to 30-ish.
Job: Satay vendor.
Personality: Happy-go-Lucky.
Famous quote: “Satay Satayyy!!!”

*Staring by SEN too*

Satay Guy Final_Look

Ah Gong (the grandfather)

Ah Gong

Ah Gong is a healthy old man who often pampers his grandchild. His kindness to his grandson finally pays off in the end of the story. The design of Ah Gong was inspired by another short film that I created back in 2006, the Grandfather’s Clock. I redesigned this grandfather and added a mustache to him, like my dad’s.

Age: 70-ish
Job: Retired.
Personality: Kind and patient.

Famous quote: “OK ok!”

*Staring by SEN too*

Ah Gong Final_Look

Ah SEN (the grandson)

Ah SEN

The name I have given this character is, simply put, my name. He is a boy based on my boyhood self. I used to be the spoiled kid in my family. Ah Sen dislikes the kampung life and is always asking for more and more. His life turns upside down when he feels he almost lost his grandfather. He finally learns a valuable lesson through the development of the story.

Age: 10-ish.
Interests: Ah Sen likes to eat, eat and eat.
Personality: Bratty, self-centered, demanding, inconsiderate and greedy.
Famous Quote: “Ah Gong Ah Gong!”

*Staring by SEN himself*

Ah SEN Final_Look

SENimation Satay Satay

SENimation

presents

"Satay Satay"

Director: Xue SEN Wong

Synopsis: It is school holidays and the children are out playing in the Malaysian kampung. The bad tempered boy Ah Sen is spending the day with his elderly Ah Gong who is cutting down coconuts to try and please his grandson. Ah Sen is sick of coconuts, however, and things take a turn for the worst when his nagging for satay leads Ah Gong to walk into an accident. Ah Sen’s world is turned upside down, forcing him to consider losing a loved one he never appreciated.

Statement from SEN:

Hi, I’m SEN!

I arrived in Australia almost 5 years ago, since then I’ve graduated with a Bachelor of Animation and continued my studies with the Honours program at the Griffith University Queensland College of Art (QCA). Being a Malaysian born Chinese boy, I have faced many challenges in my life as an “overseas traveler”. I’ve learned that determination and dedication pays off.

My graduate film Poles Apart (2007) told a great story of a panda caught in a world of polar bears. Poles Apart was a universal story that everyone could relate to. In the increasing phenomenon of a worldwide multiculturalism, the importance of tolerance and acceptance of other genders, races and cultures has become a central issue. Poles Apart raised important questions while providing an entertaining "slice of life" like storyline and an upbeat resolution of a very modern and recently growing issue. I learned many valuable lessons in film production while working on that piece, and even went to Beijing to showcase it. That was also my first time to China and I felt like the panda himself, finally going home.

Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved to tell stories. After the success of Poles Apart I realized what kind of stories I liked. I’ve come to think that stories should be fun. Fun to look at, fun to read, and fun to experience and not only that, they should also be of good quality and direction in order to connect with people emotionally.

I strongly believe that filmmaking is more than just entertaining audiences. A film is a message that should be understood by everyone no matter how young or old. It is for people to learn, to study and to become acquainted with truth and knowledge.

Now I am proud to present to you the art of my next film, Satay Satay! This is a more personal story for me as it is set in the countryside, or kampung, of my home country Malaysia. This story is actually based on my personal experience of childhood and is dedicated to my grandmother, a person I haven’t acknowledged as much as I should have. Satay Satay is a nostalgic look at childhood which portrays the greediness of human beings and their personal anxieties about love, family, expectations and the special gifts we are all given but do not always appreciate. My main aim in this film is to tell a good story using animation as a medium. What I love about animation is its power to make audiences care about the characters and become immersed in their world. It is my hope that you will enjoy the art in this book, become immersed in Ah Sen’s world and learn from his story.