Taking a close look at filmmaking
G.S. PAUL
|
Participants of a month-long Children's Visual Media Summer Camp in Thrissur were exposed to the basic techniques of filmmaking.
|
The 14-minute film `Uchchamayakkam' is a critique on the contemporary work culture in some public offices.
RELATING TO CINEMA: Participants of the Children's Visual Media Summer Camp in Thrissur.
Taking into account the new school curriculum that also deals with topics related to cinema, Chetana Media Institute, Thrissur, has been organising periodic workshops for teachers. This year, the institution went a step further by taking the technology of filmmaking to the student community.
A select group of 10 students attended a month-long Children's Visual Media Summer Camp organised in this connection, which concluded with the screening of a film made by the students.
"The camp was designed to help the students have a hands-on experience in all the departments of filmmaking," said Fr. Benny Benedict, director of Chetana. They were taught to handle the camera. From camcorders, the budding filmmakers graduated to more sophisticated cameras. The students could hardly conceal their excitement as they cranked the cameras atop tripods and adjusted different types of shots like long, short, medium and so on. The participants presented a skit that was filmed. They then used that to learn editing, dubbing, light setting and scene composing. As for script writing, they contributed their own stories. The story for the camp production was developed after elaborate discussions amongst the children.
Short film
Screen play with breakdown of shots and all particulars of pre-production,including properties, costumes and time-lapse were prepared by the participants for shooting the 14-minute film, `Uchchamayakkam.' "The children were happy to see how the basic grammar of filmmaking was adhered to in the whole process," said Sibi Chalissery, camp director. The film is a critique on the contemporary work culture in some public offices. Ratheesh, Sinoj Chathely and Rijo were some of the faculty members of Chetana who worked with the students.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
