The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : How technology enhanced narrative in <I>Pudhupettai </I>

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 05, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

How technology enhanced narrative in Pudhupettai

J. Malarvizhi

Cinematographer Aravind Krishna discusses computer graphics, colour manipulation Cinematographer Aravind Krishna discusses computer graphics, colour manipulation

CHENNAI: "Some 300 theatres in the city will have digital projection by the end of this year," predicted Aravind Krishna, cinematographer of Pudhupettaifame.

Discussing the advantages of the digital intermediate in film processing with digital filmmaking students in the city on Thursday morning, he said that around 17 theatres now have the facility.

Mr. Krishna began his career as an assistant to P.C. Sreeram and has worked on Thulluvatho Ilamai, Kaadhal Kondein and 7G Rainbow Colony.

He also discussed the making of his latest project, Pudhupettai. It is said to be the first Tamil film to be shot in `Super 35 mm' instead of `Cinemascope' format, and to be released in digital format. "No blood was used during filming. It was all added in the post production stage," he said. Technology enhanced the cinematic narrative at other points, as well, with computer graphics in the opening sequence and digital manipulation of colour in several sequences close to the interval. The use of red and green lighting, one through a camera filter and the other added post production, were meant to create a surrealistic effect, he said. The story itself being grim and serious, the colours break the monotony of realism.

The long arm of digital enhancement could adjust weather conditions, paint a clear sky overcast and add mist to a fight sequence, he pointed out. The conversation moved to techniques he had used as a cinematographer to find suitable locations for scenes. For 7G Rainbow Colony, the team had searched long and hard for an appropriate location to stage the death of the character played by Sonia Aggarwal, he recalled. They found a rare statue of Mary holding a dead Jesus in her arms on the road to Thekkady. It formed the background for the sequence. While the viewer might not even remember seeing this statue, it would have worked sub-consciously to create an intuition of death, he said.

Plans for the future include indulging his interest in direction. It will be a whole new ball game and cannot be handled along with cinematography, he feels.

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