PRODUCTION DIARIES: Oversteer3 min read
Reading Time: 3 minutesProduction Diaries provides a peek into the inner workings of a film, uncovering filmmakers’ personal experiences. Candid and conversational, these interviews and “diary entries” hope to shed light on the enigmatic nature of the craft.
In Oversteer, a young man named Feng dreams of working with cars, falling out with his dad when he refuses to take over the family business. Together with his best friend Foo and childhood sweetheart Yun, the only way they can sustain their workshop is to modify and race cars.
A light-hearted romance drama, Oversteer appeals to the young at heart with its coming-of-age tale. The story of best friends and sweethearts going against all odds to achieve their goals is perhaps one that most of us are familiar with. With a healthy amount of race scenes thrown in, race car lovers might also find this film compelling.
Writer, producer and director of Oversteer Derrick Lui is no exception. He grew up modifying cars and racing illegally which ultimately developed into a passion for cars. Eventually, that passion fuelled a film project.
Shot overseas, Oversteer faced its fair share of ups and downs that birthed many cherished memories. In this interview, Lui takes us behind the scenes of Oversteer, memory by memory.
With Lui’s love for cars, it’s not surprising when he reveals that the race scenes were the most exciting memory of the entire shoot. Without hesitation, he immediately lists, “The 3 main race scenes were shot on Mex Highway, Bukit Tinggi and the streets of Kuala Lumpur!”
Though certainly exciting, there were also hurdles to shooting race scenes. Since it involved a lot of technical aspects, Lui and the crew struggled a lot, particularly at the beginning. “Most of us were working together for the first time, and it was an overnight shoot. Various issues cropped up and we overran our wrap time by a bit,” Lui shares.
In another episode, Lui found to his horror that his car was to be towed away on their only rest day. “We ended up being detained at customs for the whole night and I was accused of illegally exporting my car!”
Despite the complications, the cast and crew of Oversteer had fun together as they persevered. Lui recalls, “We were tired and hungry after we were finally released and stopped at the first hawker centre we came across. It was there where we caught some kampung fireworks.” It seems memories like these were what kept the team going, stronger than ever.
When asked about the most memorable part of the shoot, Lui says, “The last day of shoot for sure. We were exhausted and didn’t want the shoot to end. At the wrap party, many of us got drunk. Think we were sad alcoholics!”
Of course, Oversteer itself is a story that holds a lot of meaning to Lui. “It’s based on a true story that’s close to my heart and that is the reason why I wanted to make this movie,” Lui admits. With a passion for cars just as much as the protagonist of the film, Feng, one can see the similarities between the two and how it might be inspired by a true story.
Still, Lui has big dreams for Oversteer. “I wished we had a Hollywood budget so we could pit ourselves against Fast and Furious!” Though that remains yet to be seen, Lui shares, “We’re still in discussions for a theatrical release in both Malaysia and Singapore.” Hopefully, that works out for the overachieving writer, producer and director of Oversteer.
