Filming Smart Farming in Singapore
I worked as Director of Photography on a documentary-style project exploring smart farming in Singapore, produced by DSCENT and directed by Minwoo Han. The film was created for Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) and looks at new approaches to urban agriculture in a city where farmland is extremely limited. Singapore’s agricultural land accounts for roughly one percent of its total area. That constraint makes food security a long-term concern and a strong driver for innovation.
A Smart Farm Inside the City
At the center of the film is HMGICS’s Smart Farm, a vertically integrated farming system designed for dense urban environments. Instead of presenting agriculture as something distant or abstract, the project shows how food can be grown directly where people live and work. The farm is not only focused on efficiency. It also invites visitors to follow the entire growing process, from planting to harvest, making the system easier to understand and more transparent.
Food, Technology, and Experience
The Smart Farm combines human oversight with automated conveyor systems and robotics. It grows several different crops on site, which are then used directly in the facility’s tasting lounge. Visitors can experience the produce immediately after harvest, connecting technology, flavor, and sustainability in a very direct way. What stood out to me was that this experience is offered openly. It is less about showcasing technology for its own sake and more about building trust and curiosity around how food is produced.
A Cross-Border Collaboration
This project was also shaped by close collaboration between South Korean and Singaporean teams. The production brought together DSCENT, the Seoul-based production company Minority, and INNOCEAN. That mix of perspectives influenced both the working process and the tone of the film. You can feel that exchange in the final piece. It reflects not just a technical system, but a shared effort across cultures and disciplines.
Documenting a Broader Vision
Under Minwoo Han’s direction, the film stays close to observation rather than explanation. My role as DoP was to support that approach visually, focusing on clarity, rhythm, and human scale inside a highly automated environment. This was not my first collaboration with Minwoo. Prior to this, I worked with him as Director of Photography on the SEAH BESTEEL brand film, shot on Jeju Island in South Korea. That shared history helped create a quiet trust on set.
Closing Thoughts
This project offered a grounded look at how cities like Singapore are thinking about food, space, and sustainability. Rather than proposing quick answers, the film documents an ongoing experiment—one that blends engineering, agriculture, and public engagement. For me, it was another reminder that the most interesting stories often sit at the intersection of everyday life and long-term systems.
