Can a major player in the television industry make a successful transition to the big bad world of movies?

TV production company Work Point is about to find out. With 18 successful programmes on the air, Work Point has certainly proved that it knows how to please a large audience. But as major advertising firm and entertainment organisers Matching discovered last year, after losing more than Bt100 million on its first two projects, that making movies is a risky business.

Work Point is hedging its bets by fielding its "Ching Roi Ching Laan" superstars in its pioneer production - Theng Therdtherng and Nong Cha Cha Cha both broke boxoffice records with their individual debut efforts. Theng's "Luang Phee Theng" ("The Holy Man"), released last March, raked in Bt141 million, while Nong's "Sai Lor Fah" ("Pattaya Maniac") earned Bt75 million.

But while the production company is minimising risks by joining up with Sahamongkol Films Company for its big-screen debut, "Nong Theng Nakleng Phookhao Thong", it's also taking a long shot by assigning a rookie director to the project.

For Phanit Sodsri, it's a dream come true. The man behind Work Point's top-rated primetime shows, "Wethee Thong", "Ching Roi Ching Laan" and "Game Thosakan", is an artist at heart.

A graduate of Chiang Mai university's fine arts faculty, Phanit struggled to make ends meet with his artworks but soon discovered that painting and design didn't put food on the table.

So he took his talent to Work Point where he quickly earned a reputation for his cutting edge game-show visuals. Fifteen years ago, he launched "Ching Roi Ching Laan" and brought together three young comedians Mum Jokmok aka Phetthai Wongkamlao, Theng Therdtherng and Nong Cha Cha Cha. The variety show was an instant hit and the three funny men soon became superstars in their own right.

Today, as the company's executive vice president, the 42-year-old still spends more time with the creative team than he does attending to paper work.

"Someone once said our team [at Work Point] lives with imagination. I replied it's impossible to live without it. I'll always enjoy working here as long as I'm able to join in the creative work," he says.

Phanit almost broke into movies nine years ago, not long after the release of Nonzee Nimibutr's hit action film "2499 Anthaphan Krong Muang" ("Dang Bireley and the Young Gangsters"). He, and Work Point's vice president Prapas Chonsalanon, had even put together a project proposal.

"But we were busy with the TV programmes and it wasn't until last year that we were finally ready," Phanit explains.

"Nong Theng Nakleng Phookhao Thong", set in 1923 when Thailand's movie-making industry was taking its first step, tells of the fight to keep the local folk performance art likay on the stage.

Boontheng (Theng) is the leader of a likay troupe, which is being forced out of its theatre by a greedy aristocratic landlord who wants to use the area as a film soundstage.

To prevent the movie, which he regards as a wicked Western influence, from being made, Boontheng and his friend Noy Nong (Nong Cha Cha Cha) decide to disrupt the first production, a Thai flick called "Nangsao Suwan".

"We've worked hard on the visual design so fans won't be disappointed. We're also offering comedy in the hope that our new venture will be a success, although we've made sure the story retains a strong cultural flavour," says the director.

He also feels that the film's message about cultural change is relevant Thai society today. Eighty years ago it was the likay troupes that were battling Western entertainment. Now the home phone has to fight the mobile.

"There are always two sides of a coin. Something is cool one moment then outdated when it's in the wrong place. The old entity might be useless but it has a story and we can't get that from the new thing. We should always try to preserve our history even while enjoying the benefits of modern technology," the director adds.

More than Bt10 million was spent to create a film set to look like Bangkok as it was 80 years ago, complete with a tram, early cinema and the type of lively street activity that is no longer visible.

Filming started in October and because of a rigorous schedule, editing was done simultaneously with the shooting.

"The simultaneous editing helped show what we missed and allowed us to fix it. But sometimes it took my concentration away from directing," says Phanit.

"But I'm a hundred per cent happy with this project and hopae that the audience will leave the cinema feeling really good.

"To me that's a far greater reward than winning any prizes for the movie."

"Nong Theng Nakleng Phookhao Thong" opens at cinemas nationwide on Thursday.

Parinyaporn Pajee

The Nation