Evaluation Question 7

Initially when i was making my priliminary video, all i knew was how to fix a camera on a tripod along with how to shoot a couple of simple camera angles and shots. Along with that i knew the names of these shots, that were mainly the basics, extreme close up, close up, mid shot, long shot, extreme long shot, establishing shot and high angle and low angle shots. The concept having the entire process of deciding a story, comleting research and preperation, studying genres and their conventions, studying institutions, all was completely alien to me. Infact, back then i did not even know what the importance of all this was. Frankly, i hadn't even understood how to use the correct media language. I broke the one eighty degree rule just because i didn't quite understand what it was. In other words, all i knew was how to handle a camera and also had a small idea of how to make lighting look good. Other than all that, direction and construction was not even a part of the little act. All i was to do was to get two people into talking and to capture them through diffent angles and to use shot reverse shot once they exchanged dialogue. Apart from the shoot, coming towards editing, by then i got to know little about editing since there were just a few shots to be cut and continued, however, it did teach me the basics. But when i look back now, Theres so much more to it than just shooting and editing and i believe this process of compilation of informtion and construction of data is what is really imporatant. Everone can hold a camera and turn it around, but not everyone can understand media as the source of intellect and communication it really is. Back then all i knew was the technical stuff, but now i know so much. Whether it is about different film industries and the institutions, whether it is about how different institutions cater to different genres, whether how diffenet genres have diffenet audiences or simply how to combine camera movements to audio and mise-en-sene providing the correct feel and genre specific elements within the media text. Then, i knew that films are financed by institutions and that is how they reach us, but now i can name institutions according the genres they like to distribute. Back then i knew that genres consisted of horror, comedy, action, romance, drama, adventure etc. But now i even know how genres colide into sub genres and what codes and conventions each of them follow. I knew how to hold a camera and take simple shots, now i am confident enough to use different techniques of camera shots along with the order of shots it is supposed to go in. Earlier on i didn't know what it took to come up wih a story line, now i know that films cannot go on without things like story boards and scene and shot divisionings. Initially i did not know there was an entire process to the constuction of a short media text, now, i not only know there is one, but also know each and every step it takes towards it. When i start thinking, i get so much in my head since i have gathered so much of information regarding all this. However, the only thing I feel I still need to understand completely is the technical stuff involved in editing. With time, i will learn that too.

STARTING WITH THE PRELIMINARY

It is strange how once i start recalling, i get a flow of memories of how things took the initial step. I remember one fine day calling up two of my friends and asking them if they'd want to act for me. I wouldn't exactly write an entire section on 'planning for the prelim-shoot', mainly because at this stage we told what to do. We were told to shoot a two minutes scene and show two people exchanging dialogue. Yes, now it seems simple, but back them it was like " OH MY GOD I HAVE TO SHOOT THIS! HOW?!' Well. again, as i said, it was more like the very first step. So i started shooting. It was rather funny since it was hard to get my friends to act as they wouldn't stop laughing. It was hard, for me, to understand the 'one-eighty degree rule'. As much ashamed as i am by writng this down, i even broke it, while not knowing until the teacher pointed it out. I didn't even know how to control the lighting. It was a mess, but i liked it. It was a very new and joyful experience, and i learnt a lot of things by just this process. So when i went out for my real shoot later in the next term, I didn' have to face these problems because i had already grown out of them.

TIMES IN BETWEEN
Well, i truly want to mention what a wonderful and full of experience journey i passed this year. Before going out for the fnal shoot there were a million things to do. I give both my teachers credit for getting all my work done on time, with effort and as nicely as i had in mind. All my friends had started complaining to me by this time, of why i never leave the media lab and spend time with them. Life inside that lab was so inspiring and dominating throughout. Getting familiar wih all the equipment inside, listening to songs and completing my blog, even sitting alone there, staring into nothing and trying to visualize how i wanted my film to be shot and edited, it was all a time of chances of finding out who i am and where i belong.

FINAL PRODUCTION

By now i had gotten very excited and i had all my plans sorted out. So i head off to shoot. Wow, there were a number problems i faced. Location issues, actors not being there on time, the scorching heat, camera's battery dying. It was all a hard process full of moments pf panic and stress. However, when i started shooting, and saw all the rushes i had in my camera, i was so happy. I loved it. A few problems lead my partner and I go out for reshoot. But we remained positive and made our sequence of shots even better than what they were before. Later when we started to edit, at the same time we recieved the music for our film. A friend of ine made the music, as per requirement. I told him each and every detail i wanted the sound track to contain. I remember the way i'd sit infront of him and explain things in the most confusing way, but he still understood what i had in mind and gave me a result that was definately better than my expectation. At the same time, i remember sitting in an issolated class room with all the fans turned off just so i could get to record my voice clearly. I basically sang for my film. This song is played in the starting of my film. I took this particular idea from the film 'Brick Lane' and I was hoping I'd get the same kind of feel delivered. As a matter of fact I did, to some level and once again, i was happy with what i had done. So looking back, i believe it is a journey of complete ups and downs but either way, we get to learn so much and that is not just limited to the creative aspect, but also to technology.