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An editor's tale
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They are the unsung heroes. But editors can make or break a film
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SUCCESS STORIES A team effort. (Clockwise from top right) A still from Aalavandhan, editor K. S. Raghunath and a still from Kaadhal Kondein
When talking about a movie, the things that pop up in our minds are the actors, the music and the director. Rarely do we take note of the person who forms a unified sequence of shots and gives us the movie in its final form. He is the film editor.
Important role
Many might say that a good movie is the result of the director being good. But what role does an editor play? "A story has many scenes and every scene might not be shot in sequence. It is the work of the editor to arrange the scenes sequentially in order to make it comprehensible. An editor is equally important as a director", says renowned editor K. S. Raghunath, who was here at Campus Images, College of Film Animation and Digital Arts to conduct a seminar on `Tricks and Techniques of film animation'.
Students of Computer Science and Visual Communication of all leading colleges in Coimbatore attended the seminar where aesthetics of film editing, types of editing, its principles, the software used etc were discussed.
A joint effort
"Timing is very essential in editing as each and every frame is important. Misplacing a frame can disrupt the flow of the story", says Raghunath.
Earlier the work of an editor was confined to the editing room. But nowadays, an editor has to be present in all stages of filmmaking, as he has to have a clear idea of what the director wants. "Film making is not a one man show. There has to be proper co-ordination between the story, direction, editing etc which determines the future of the movie," explains Raghunath.
When asked about the importance of visual effects in a movie, his opinion is that it can be used as long as it agrees with the script. Unnecessary use of visual effects can damage the tone of the movie. "Using special effects have become so much of a trend that it is used in each and every movie," comments Raghunath.
Creativity
There has to be a proper understanding between the cinematographer and the editor when special effects are being used in a movie. The presence of the director while editing is also necessary.
"It is not necessary that the entry into the film industry has to be as someone's assistant. All that is necessary is creativity and the ability to express your ideas," is Raghunath's advice to the budding talents who hope to enter the film industry. The students eagerly received tips from this professional.
He has won the state award for editing in Kaadal Kondein and his team bagged the National Award for visual effects for their excellent work in Aalavandhan.
His upcoming projects include Megham and Ninaithu Ninaithu Parthen featuring Prasanth.
Also on the list is a travel film for National Geographic.
Dream job
"Although I do editing and animation, my aim is to direct good movies which can be viewed by an international audience", says Raghunath when asked about his future plans. He has to his credit more than 400 corporate films and documentaries.
Hari, a student of Campus Images, who recently won the best cinematography and best documentary awards for his documentary White Sands at Contagion 2006 was ecstatic that he could interact with Raghunath (who he claims is his role model) at the institute. "Just a word of encouragement can help the students work hard and be creative. An interest can be transformed into passion by encouraging students", says Hari.
C.Sitaram, the executive director of Campus Images is grateful for people like Ragunath who are ready to fly down and guide the students and prepare them for the production standards. Their aim is to give the film industry technicians who are trained in international standards.
"Seminars and workshops conducted by the experts give great confidence to the students. They give students a direct link to the film industry. Here at Campus Images, we provide the students not only the tools but also the knowledge how to use them" says Sathya, a faculty at the institute.
KEERTHI MOHAN
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