Chooi Jynn Lin proves that you can’t be too young to engage culture.
Contributed By Annabelle Low
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| PHOTO COURTESY OF CHOOI JYNN LIN |
If you’ve been out and about at all this month, chances are, you’ve probably seen or heard this year’s National Day Parade theme song, lovingly penned and performed by Corinne May.
Making her debut into the world of acting is Chooi Jynn Lin, a Secondary 3 student at Cedar Girls’ School. Bubbly, charming and down-to-earth, City News sits down with the 15-year-old and finds out about her experience in making the music video.
Tell us about your role in the music video.
Jynn Lin: I play the younger version of Corinne May. The music video is basically about a girl who wants to become a music conductor when she grows up. It shows the birth of her dreams, and how the people around her have nurtured her and watched her live out her dream.
How did you become involved in the music video?
JL: My music teacher recommended me to the director after seeing me perform in the combined schools choir.
You must have been excited, getting the opportunity to work with professionals in the business. What was the process like?
JL: I was very excited! I didn’t get to meet Corinne May though. I met with the director, Eva Tang, who went through the basic story line with me. Then we went to the location to start filming on a separate day. The filming process for me took three hours. I only met the person who played my father on the day itself, so we had to get to know each other very quickly. The filming for each shot itself was done quite fast, but the entire process took a while because they had to shoot each scene from different angles so we had to keep on re-doing the scene.
What were some of the challenges you faced?
JL: To be honest, I don’t really know how to play the piano. I only know how to play one song, so I just kept playing that song over and over again. I have no music background, so it was a challenge to express the appropriate emotion. I struggled a bit with my facial expressions.
It was hard work—there was a lot of waiting, the weather was very hot, and I kept getting attacked by mosquitoes. But I psyched myself up by reminding myself that since I had the privilege of participating in this, I had to do it well.
How did you feel when you first saw yourself on screen?
JL: I had to ask myself, “Is that me?” It was weird—I knew it was me in the video but it didn’t feel like me.
So how is life like after the video?
JL: I’m my usual self—life has not really changed. My school has TV screens all over and they keep playing the music video, so people at school keep coming up to me and telling me they saw me in the music video. It’s all over the MRT stations as well!
I don’t get recognized a lot outside though, because I wear spectacles in real life.
After this, do you think you’ll be making plans to join the entertainment industry?
JL: No, not now that I know what actors have to go through! But I’m keeping my options open. I’m planning to follow in my parents’ footsteps and become an accountant. If I do want to pursue acting, I must have something to fall back on.
Catch Chooi Jynn Lin’s performance in the music video for this year’s National Day Parade theme song.
