TwoSet Violin - 'FANTASIA' Short Film

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Written by: Brett Yang, Eddy Chen
Directed by: Ted Charles
Assistant Director: Cordelia Yeo
Producer: Amelia Loh
Assistant Producers: Alicia Luan, Eunice Wong
Director of Photography: Bong
1st Camera Assistant: Matthew Chong
2nd Camera Assistant: Regine Yeow
Cam B / Steadicam Operator: Ho Zhen Jie
Gaffer: Ong Benjamin
Best Boy: Francis "Wildboar" Lim
Grip: Khairul Hafizh
Grip: Zhang JiaPei
Junior Grip: Alex Seow
Art Director: Shelley Chan
Prop Master: Pearlcelia Liong
Art Assistants: Sandra Sek, Isabel Lee, Angela Tan
Production Assistant: Faiz Abdul Rahim
Hair and Makeup & Wardrobe Lead: Diane Chen
Hair and Makeup Assistants: Sheryl Huang, Hana Leong
Wardrobe Assistant: Clare Chan
On-screen Violinist: June Wu
On-Screen Cellist: Bekhzod Oblayorov
Special thanks to: Chloe Chua
Animation: Jawn, Denise Nicole Yap, Yan Han
Album Art & Logo: Edith Indarto
Composer: Jordon He (in collaboration with TwoSet Violin)
Recording Violinist: Brett Yang, Eddy Chen
Recording Violist: Georgii Moroz, Joelle Hsu
Recording Cellist: Jiaqi Liu, Chien-Yu Ho
Recording Engineer: Gao Yang
Haircut and Color Sponsor: The Lawn Hairdressing Salon
Accessory Sponsor: Gen.K Jewelry
Locations: Jurong Lake Gardens, National Museum of Singapore, Telescope Studios
Location sponsors: Gateway Theatre, Qrious Studio
Music score sponsor and sponsor: G. Henle Verlag

[StevenHe]

On behalf of humanity, thank you Eddy for picking up that violin ❤️👑 and thank you Brett for being on the other side of that mirror

[motorbikeray]

One interpretation: In a different timeline Eddy didn't continue his violin studies and Brett isolated himself to fully study violin. Eddy is missing something from his 9-to-5 lifestyle and Brett pushed himself on violin so hard to land him in the hospital. The mirror shows each of them what their lives would've been like if Eddy pursued violin and Brett removed himself from self-imposed violin isolation. Brett guides Eddy back to violin and Eddy guides Brett out of isolation. They find themselves a perfect musical complement to each other when they play violin together on stage. Brett dies on the hospital bed and he disappears. Eddy quits his 9-to-5 life to pursue violin and he disappears. Both meet in the current timeline where they work together to share their passion for music to the world.

[sciencenerd]

I know you guys often comment about "failing" to become violin soloists. But considering you play for a worldwide audience and have succeeded in inspiring musicians, expanding the awareness and knowledge of classical music fans, introduced a younger generation to classical music AND provided a platform for said soloist to expand their art on your channel and now this...I would say you have succeeded way BEYOND being violin soloists.

[inthesparklingsky]

We love you guys not because you’re genius violinists, but because you’re normal human beings who prove us day after day that commitment and love for what one does is what really makes the difference in one’s life.

[juliatam]

When Brett said he wasn’t into overly happy things - Fantasia is definitely more “wistful” than overtly “happy” - I don't know if I’m alone in this, I *love* this a lot but I feel like it also breaks your heart a bit

[ellemonsters]

Oh... as someone who was talked out of pursuing their dreams of becoming a pianist and who can now no longer play due to a car accident, this hit particularly hard.

[zylan]

I like how Eddy's side of the story is presented more literally than Brett's, it goes well with their pesonalities as Eddy is usually more expressive to me than Brett.
I think these are them after going different paths in adulthood, in this universe they did meet when they were kids, but they took different paths in life. While Eddy took some distance from the music, Brett went for it until burn out. It's only in that fantasy world (the stage where they play together) where they finally reunite and realize that they're two halves of the same coin. Eddy got there by following the idealized Brett in his mind /who takes him to LingLing/, while Brett who's in the hospital actually starts showing vital signs after he reunites with Eddy on stage, meaning that he finally finds joy in music again? maybe. Then Brett is gone from the stage because he wakes up in the real world and Eddy also goes back to reality. In the end, Eddy finally decides to embrace his dream -of becoming an anime character- of pursuing music because he has a clear purpose now, which is shared with Brett. He opens the gate to the Fantasia world where we can see them together again, finally following/fulfilling their dream.

My personal highlights:

* Goddess LingLing Chloe Chua
* The guys in front of the twoset logo
* In the beggining, we see Eddy wandering some unknown place, as if he's lost with no purpose in life. While Brett is literally isolated, in darkness, playing/practicing all alone. This part breaks my heart.
* The whole sequence of Eddy entering the building and discovering the path of music
* the staff in the monitor 😭

[cvxaei_]

My interpretation:

In the beginning you can see Eddy in a field that is in the middle of somewhere with a portal like thing, and on the other side of that portal is Brett. He wonders, why is Eddy not playing the violin anymore?

Then the scene cuts to Eddy, who quit his dreams of becoming a professional violinist and is now working a normal 9-5 job. He goes home, and as he sits down, the screen flashes with: “If I had followed my heart back then, would things be different?”. I believe this refers to when Brett passed away or when he got sick, and then Eddy quit the violin since Brett isn’t there to play it with him anymore. Lightning strikes Eddy’s violin, bringing his attention back to it. He brings the case to his table, and as he opens, the scene cuts to this fancy place.

Brett leads Eddy through the memories, the music books, the many famous composers, and in the end they reach Chloe, with a violin in front of her. Eddy then picks it up, and the scene cuts again.

Now we are in the hospital with Brett as he lays unconscious on the hospital bed. You can see on the wall, the clock is 20 hours, not 12 hours, meaning the clock actually has 40 total hours, like the 40 hours of practice. This could also mean how much time Brett had left, because when the clock strikes 20, Brett’s heart monitor flatlines. And, Eddy with his violin, relives a concert with him and Brett one last time and remembers how happy it made him. During this concert, Brett’s heart monitor flat-lines when the clock hits 20, but with 5 lines, like the lines in music scores.

Then, we are shown Eddy, alone on stage without Brett, and the hospital bed being empty, like Brett has passed away.

Eddy wakes up into reality again, and he turns around. He sees a bubble tea on the table, signifying that Brett may be gone, but his spirit remains. Eddy then opens his violin case, as the scene cuts to a world where Brett and Eddy reconnect through music, or something else.

Extra: I think this video was made to say IF things had gone wrong back then. If you are unaware of this, back in October 2020, Brett and Eddy took a break for Brett’s health issues. They did get it treated, but I think this video is saying what would’ve or could’ve happened if they DIDN’T figure out what the issue was and didn’t get it treated properly.

(Sorry for the bad grammar and stuff)

[pamm]

I'll be 70 years old later this month (I have no idea how that happened) and I'm counting this as my first birthday gift. Absolutely lovely, boys. Really lovely.

[musicamedisa]

Someone said to post this so here is my interpretation:

Eddie gave up his dream of being a professional musician when Brett became sick. He works an office job, and in this short film we see the violin connect him to the memories he sealed away, his love of the violin is tied to his love of his friend, and bound in that grief represented by the violin case. They journey through a world of wonder, grow, and bloom together, culminating in a grand duet which soars high above any place they could reach alone. And then it hits, Eddie is alone on that stage, the possibility of his friend living, of one more bubble tea, it's gone. And what is left? I think in the end, Eddie realizes the answer to that question when he opens the case. Ah, yes. What's left is and has always been the music. He finds his friend there, where he always was. Welcome home. Your fantasia was just a guiding star, set shining from above by your friend who is no longer, yet lives and breathes forever in the color and the expression of your playing. It's time to practice. :)

This short film also reminds me a little of Your Lie in April hehehe

Bonus: The clock having 20 hours, and the arms hitting the 20 as if "Your 40 hours are up" when Brett is no longer there got me in the feels.

[iniyasart]

Can we also take a moment to appreciate Jordon he for his OUTSTANDING and MAGICAL composition in collaboration with

[AriiNguyen]

My heart aches a little when I see Eddy left alone on that stage, and Brett in a hospital bed. He was genuinely lost and scared in that scene. God, how hard it must have been for him when Brett was bedridden sick for a month.

There are so many interpretations to this masterpiece, but the one I'd like to take is that "having each other, they soar".

[yellowcarnivore]

My interpretation: Eddy has abandoned his dream of pursuing violin in the process of adulting. Brett does not exist. He is a “friend” who only exists in Eddy’s mind and he represents Eddy’s repressed/unfulfilled desire to play the violin. Because Eddy has given up on violin for so long, Brett is simply playing the violin by himself in the background (i.e. Eddy’s subconscious state) and is metaphorically in a coma in real life. That is why Eddy and Brett are on two sides of the same mirror.

Things changed when Eddy decided to open the violin case. The Brett in him is awaken and he led Eddy back into the world of classical music, a world that Eddy has not stepped into for a long time. Eddy experienced the euphoria of playing violin with Brett again, but his joy did not last because Brett has disappeared from the stage halfway. Eddy’s decision to open the violin case has awaken and released the “Brett” in him (ie. the desire and joy of pursuing music again), but all these are just Eddy’s imagination if he doesn’t act on it in real life.

At this point, Brett has already woken up from his coma and left the hospital. The inner voice in Eddy (i.e. Brett) has already broken out from the prison of reality that he has been trapped in for the longest time. Brett is waiting for Eddy to take that leap of faith to join him.

Finally, Eddy took that leap of faith and decided to pursue his passion for music in real life (signified by him opening up the violin case again at the end). He was reunited with Brett and they soared to the sky with their violins. Eddy is finally following his heart, and this time, the joy is real and lasting.

In this journey, Eddy and Brett have lost each other, waited for each other, found each other and finally, saved each other. Some of us might have dreams that we have long buried or gave up on as we grew up because of circumstances, self-doubt or various struggles in life. Our dreams are never truly lost - they are quietly waiting for us to return.

[musicamedisa]

Chloe Chua being the sacred guardian of the violin SENT ME. This was awesome: the harmonies between musical imagery and imagery physicalized on screen brought new colors to the pieces I had never seen before. Thank you for casting this magical spell, it will be with me in many practice sessions to come :)

[echooooy]

This is my thought: in the world of this short films, they didn’t meet each other. So without Brett Eddy didn’t choose to become a musician, and without Eddy Brett didn’t survive the disease… 🥲 But in the end they reunited and played the violin together.
I was so moved… As mentioned in some interviews, Brett is the one who is more determined to their dream and encouraged Eddy a lot. Also we all know when Brett was sick, Eddy took good care of Brett.
I’m so glad we’re in a world with TSV. 🥰

[wooalexis]

One small detail I noticed is that in the "alternate timeline" where Brett and Eddy weren't doing twoset, Eddy doesn't wear his glasses. He usually jokes that he got them because of all the sightreading he had to do. Because he didn't follow his desired path, he never needed to sight read as much and therefore never needed his glasses. This is just my take on it. Great work Brett and Eddy, and the whole team! 👏👏

[joramzieltjens]

Wow, the actors can actually play their instruments, they don't need to fake it😂

[gelatinouscube]

"No talking
No body language
You have to convey everything through violin playing"

This is some next level violin charades 👌

[nobodyplaylists]

The second I listened to the Prelude theme I knew the rest of the video will be awesome! This is incredible, the visuals, the music, the last scene, all of this!

[DaytimeShootingstar]

This video hits me so hard... I used to be a cellist, I was in school all day (from 8am to 8pm) and I had a friend who I was always with; we used to compete for everything, not only in mathematics or geography, but specifically for the first cello chair in the orchestra. We were together for five years, until he decided to go on an exchange to Taiwan; I liked the idea of ​​being apart for a while, so everyone could improve their skills and play new music together; no longer as competition like when we were younger, but fellow travelers in the world of music. I practiced as hard as I could, I took all the extra classes I could find (besides the mandatory ones from my conservatory), even when that meant revealing myself to my whole family and being almost abandoned (because they expected a promising lawyer, not a cellist). I was preparing for a level change exam and imagining a future where maybe... I could live doing this... and when I was in the best shape of my entire career... when I was starting to be happy with my sound, with my music, with what I transmitted...
I found out my friend died. We were at the height of the pandemic, so there was no funeral, no farewell, I didn't know what he died of either; I only received a short text message, breaking the news to me and forbidding me to tell anyone about my friend's death (her mom didn't want anyone to know, just close friends). So from one moment to the next, I was alone, crying in my room, unable to tell anyone. My friend never heard me play the way I had worked so hard to prepare... I never got to be honest with him...and I never got to hear him play what he really wanted to show me. I finished that year of study, but I didn't take the final exam. Somehow, from that moment, I felt that the cello was a weight for me, and that all my soul had gone...
I didn't play cello again, and now I'm studying a career that I don't hate, it doesn't bother me, it's even interesting, but I can't help but feel empty every day, while doing a job that I'm not passionate about either and somehow, I survive. I feel like I'm just surviving day after day, but I haven't been happy for a long time. I would like another reality in which I could see my friend again and tell him everything I wanted him to know, but above all, I would like us to be able to play together once again... it would have been enough for me and maybe, a farewell hug.