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Frozen-Black and White
A NOTE ON WHY IN BLACK & WHITE
The question has been often asked to me about the reasons behind doing this film in black and white. I hope this helps explain our stance.
Let me say something about the setting. The landscape of Ladakh is very stark. The colours are predominantly shades of amber. In the winters there is not a speck of green to be seen. The foliage is reduced to skeletons. The northern sky is a deep blue, in contrast to the deep black shadows the sun casts. The Indus is frozen at the banks and trickles in the middle – dark under a thin sheet of ice. The outside temperature ranges from -15 to -30 depending on the time of the day.
The story is set against the backdrop of these extreme conditions. For the characters, this is part of their daily life. This terrain and landscape was chosen consciously because it did justice to the concept of people coming together but instead of sharing warmth and affection ending up in a state we call “FROZEN”.
Since I had visited Ladakh in all seasons I knew the colours very well. We did a couple of tests using colour stock and found that the landscape looks spectacular. The results were astounding. But we also noticed that it does not come across as a cold and hard place to live in. The reason was the colour. The beautiful shades of amber and the blue sky were giving us the impression of summer! So we decided to try a different approach. And black and white worked! The image was just too overwhelming. The shades of grey and the barren look worked as a combination to do justice to the story, and bring out the ethos of the characters.
Today’s colour stocks offer far greater possibilities when it comes to tonalities than the traditional black and white stocks. So after much deliberation we took a call to shoot on native colour stock and then print in black & white. This was achieved by a digital intermediate, after color grading the scanned negative on Lustre.We tested the black and white stock also but were not happy with the handling of the final print.
Enjoy this in the black & white – the colours that define a stronger “colourful narration” than the ordinary…
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- Danny as Karma
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- Frozen Lake
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- Basgo
-
- actually nuns
I remember one old gentleman’s comment after the screening at the Leicester Square at London BFI International Film Festival. He told me why do you call your film a black and white film…It has got so many colors…the Colors Of Life…Well I couldn’t agree less…I reckon thats what good cinema is about….
59 Responses to “Frozen-Black and White”
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Love it when theres a thought behind the process.
I’d have thought that it would be difficult to spot extreme conditions in Black & White, no? Or Black & White was the most appropriate option to sell the point to the audience? How would you have showed the extreme conditions in Color? I am just curious.
I have to see the film now. Still, let me be a bit prejudge-mental, it would have been better if you had showed the extreme conditions in color, that would have been more challenging and perhaps would have had greater effects.
:-D
Nice to know about the process. Color does define the look and feel of films, and its more important a consideration when the films are either starkly linear or highly abstract. either extremes, lots of possibilities with the interplays. thats one reason why I dont wanna see a mughal e azam or a naya daur in color. And I wouldnt take a jaane bhi do yaaron or teesri manzil in B&W either. I guess the first look builds our perceptions and define the way we react to A particular film henceforth. its a never ending talk. it could go on to the aspects of gimmicks, filtering, overdoses, indulgent devices, and the works. there is something about Ladakh and B&W though. it cant be explained. I guess Santosh Sivan is a magician who broke that belief for me. would be interesting to see some color stills from the shoot/pre-shoot though.
On a lighter note, B&W is always more festival friendly :-)
Shivajee I laud your decision to shoot in B&W as it’s a lost art and in many cases more evocative than color. However did the thought that it will be twice as hard to get a theatrical release for a BW film not faze you at all ?
Even the Coen’s had to get a color print of “The Man who wasn’t there” to satisfy studio execs in case the BW version didn’t work. I wish more people shot in BW. Have you seen the films of Bela Tarr and Guy Maddin ? They are so gorgeous that they make you want to cry.
How can I get to watch Frozen dude ?
Thanks Shivajee for so opening sharing both your technique and your expertise with us all.
From the few clips & stills that I’ve seen I wondered whether the film was shot using B/W stock or colour stock and then colour-passed. Thanks for shedding some light (no pun intended) on that.
Any idea how we could see the film in Canada?
Tushar, I gotta disagree with you my friend. You said “…I dont wanna see a mughal e azam or a naya daur in color…I guess the first look builds our perceptions and define the way we react to A particular film…”
I actually own Mughal-E-Azam on DVD in B/W (bought it like a couple of months before they announced it in colour.. D’oh!). Anyways, I’d seen the film in B/W several times, still I had to rent the DVD in colour and it was as if I was watching it for the 1st time! Even though I felt the colours didn’t always look all that authentic, or even consistent, it still looked brilliant. I for one couldn’t help but think of all that we were missing in this majestic, epic film without all those dazzling hues.
HG,Tushi,
cmon guys dont go off on a tangent here. Da Boss was talking about color misleading the viewer and why he didnt want tht.
take a phaltu 2meg cam to ladakh and shoot randomly. you will still get ‘wow’ ‘great’ comments form the people who see the pics. ladakh has that kind of an effect cuz of the landscape.
the handicap is more the viewers perception than a filmmakers/photographers ability
@Honhaar Goonda
Well as a hindsight we can say so many things…maybe this maybe that…
Regarding the challenges of maybe doing it in color and maybe effects coming out more…well I can only say maybe…
The fact is we have done it and yes you are welcome to prejudge…:-) there is nothing challenging about it(according to me)…
@Tushar
Well I somehow don’t agree with the 1st look point. At the crux is what the director is saying?Whether the need was this or that?
As I am a photographer too many a times I have received queries from clients who ask me what equipment I am using,whether it is digital or paper or whatever?
Ultimately all these are tools. It is how we use them and also who is using them?
I have loved Matrix with all its fx paraphernalia. I have grown up watching typical western movies also and loved every bit of it…the gun,the bullet and the blond…
On the festivals being black and white friendly…I will say thats not true…
@Mitch
Well we never shot Frozen thinking that we want to revive the lost art etc. etc.
It is a costly and painful process now a days.
It was just that our film,our story looked right in that.
No we never thought that we would have any issues with Distributers.But yes we were wrong in that. Anyway the art of making a film is different than the art of selling a film. Well I am learning that.
How can you watch Frozen? Pray that it gets a release…
Shivajee…kudos bhaiyya…these pics look as magnificient as the film did…but had to ask…yaar i donno if u had any other exp in entertainment..i do know that u r a excellent photographer…but, how did u decide that..” ohh ok i wil shoot in color and then..do the B/W thingy”..sorry yaar i am not very techo…so from a common man’s perspective..how and wen did u decide..its gonna be this way..and did u have a prior knowledge of how it wud look in B/W..if yes..how did u know what to do with the color print and whom shud u approach…
Asking you this bcos..i have heard so much about u tribunals od Frozen being selected for Cannes..but you cudnt finish the post prod for watever reasons( which is really sad)….yaar..as you said in earlier post… yeh dil maange more…aise KLPD matt karo yaar
Also I wanted to strip the film off the colorful,mystical,oriental flick impression. All across the globe people have these images of films coming out of India. Specially when you say the film is shot in Ladakh. They take names of some esteemed filmmakers who have done that already.Also the guys who have seen Frozen would know what I am saying if I mention the music of the film too.There is nothing oriental about it.
Have u tried getting a producer’s rep here. Somebody like John Pierson. Or maybe get John Pierson himself.
Well I didn’t try that. Also it becomes tough to have reps(producer’s and director’s) from abroad when one is based in India. I mean it becomes tough to operate that way.It would work once you are established,have two or more films in the kitty.
Pierson is revered coz he helped out Michael Moore, Kevin Smith and Errol Morris when they were starting out. While it’s true that bridging the country gap is tough you should def give it a shot. Try getting an agent or at least speak to a producer’s rep. U have got the festival cred and even if u can get a limited arthouse release here it will be worth the effort.
You can also try to get a video deal with Tartan or other niche DVD companies. Even HBO picks up films for first run showing. They picked up a couple of docus from Sundance if I can remember correctly.
Areah Dpac, I wasn’t doubting the director’s ability! I just wanted to know what would have been more difficult. I actually sort of contradicted myself in the above comment. I wasn”t sure what would have been difficult… showing extreme conditions in Black White or Color?!
Shivajee-jee hope you’re not offended. But Shivajee, thanks for writing a post on it and explaining it. It sort of makes sense…..
@hg
i didnt mean u were doubting the directors ability. that was another statement. i was directing ur attention to the ‘objective’ - which was not to let the viewer be in awe of the landscape and colors when the story itself is about people living in those bleak extreme conditions
@Honhaar G
Nah I am not offended…I am happy about the discussions…You have to watch it then it would become more enlightening for me…man its my first film…remember?
After this path breaking attempt becomes a hit…few years down the line… may be this wud get released in colour ;) like the mughal-e-azam :D
Holy cow! Imagine after going through all the exercises of trying to achieve the exact tonality of various shades of whites,grays etc.,sitting again and adding color.This is like asking me to add an item song/dream sequence of young Danny jiving at an old tavern with a Chinky Ms RS! :-)
@ Shivajee, beautiful pictures. i am waiting to see your film. by the way how was your experience working on lustre?
@rony
Thank you…well the guys at Prasad Labs Mumbai were really great…They could understand exactly what we wanted…for that matter the Deluxe Lab at LA was a great experience.In all I had great support from my Labs.
@OM
Arre bhaiya bahut lamba jawaab hai aapke sawaal ka…But I will answer that…give me some time…I am working on the part 2 of the Frozen Journey…May be I will include it there…
@boss,
i am gonna turn green when i hear ur answer but still, what all still cams do u own?
@Dpac,
cool…I love green…
I have all nikon paraphernalia…FM 10,a manual camera helps when you go to high altitude trekking or mountaineering. F 80 which is used as a back up and its very light weight.
I had the D100 Nikon which I gave to Shanker before Frozen and bought D200 and now I am eying the D3. Paise nahi hai bhai…
My first camera in Mumbai is F 50 which I have kept for senti reasons. Mamiya RZ67 I am not able to use much presently but it is an amazing camera.
The best of all is a Hasselblad with Sinar digital back…
aaarrrrgh all green here!!!!
:-) Bhai I am a chota and not even mota photographer and film maker…
such modesty!!! u remind me of mr bachchan suddenly!!!
if u r chota then im miniscule eheh
im all canon here have a 300EOS and recently a 400D
Hey on that note I must say that Mr B is cool but then remember I got to work with Mr D…ha ha ha…
Canon is good but as I mentioned somewhere its not the tool but who is using and how is he using (sounds crass,does it?)…;-) and one should love to tools and take care of them…dust it, keep it oiled etc. etc…
eggactly!!!
do u have a online portfolio boss?
I have one at Picasa but since I plan to come out with a book someday I am saving them all…
any chance for a peek?
mail me…why do you want to kill my Expensive Coffee Table Book Buyers? Otherwise I will be anyway posting more pics with my future writings…picture abhi baaki hai mere dost…
Hmm…I am never of that clubbing type…:-)
Hey by the way where are you based,dost?
melbourne boss
Arre dost I was to come for the Melborne International Film Festival. But it was clashing with some other big festival so we gave it a pass…May be next time…
u mean last year? or the MIFF08?
This year…
Is it in June or July?
25july-10aug. so u not comin?
Nopes…ok its clashing with Durban International Film Festival.
Hi Shivajee,
have read all ur previous posts on FROZEN…seems like a great film…congrats…it puzzles me why u r still not getting buyers even after doing well at the festivals…couldnt you possibly try blockbuster etc for dvd deals/ also HBO as someone pointed out?
since u understand the technical aspects well, pls help me …i am really interested in making films and my mind is always filled with a stories and characters..(new ones keep emerging on daily basis)..BUT the problem is i find the technical aspects too complex and frightening. Also, i am not a good people’s person (extremely shy and introvert).
its quite frustating to be not able to convert stories in the mind into films.
can u help with me any kind of suggestion…
thnx a lot…
balwinder
@ shivajee,
do you have the original color DI of Frozen? Would love to see a coupla scenes/trailer in color if possible. Your reasons for using B&W are unassialable…I’m just curious to see what some of the images looked like in color.
@dabba,
yes I have the original film in color.I don’t know how you could see that…but surely I will be coming out with the making of frozen whenever it happens…that is in color…
Boss,
I had written you an email about the screening of your film at the theatre I work. I didn’t get a reply from you…. a person from your production company wrote back a dry email saying it wasn’t possible to screen the movie, since they were planning a full release. That is fine by me. I understand and respect that. But I would have appreciated if they said a little about when the movie could be screened, later this year, early next year, whenever…. At a place where Indian cinema is viewed as ‘BOLLYWOOD’, I am sincerely trying to get in some good movies so that the perception about Indian cinema being ’silly’ (yes, that is what I get to hear!) can change!
I had also asked you a few questions about FROZEN. No answers to that too, from the production team :).
We are a small theatre(300 seating capacity), but we have a discerning audience. We have an Australian Film Festival, a Chinese one, an Italian one, a Canadian one. And they showcase the very best of cinema from those countries. But here’s a sampling of what was shown in the ‘BOLLYWOOD’ festival (purportedly showcasing the best of Indian cinema from the last 50 years)that ran to packed houses: “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, “Kal Ho Na Ho”, “Saanwariya”, “Satte Pe Satta”…of course, people came in hoardes, they laughed through the movies, even when they were not supposed to… because that is what they have come to expect of Indian cinema. If people like you don’t pitch in, we are going to be in the same state forever.
Now when I tell our curator about screening some good Indian movies, she tells me,”They don’t respond. I’d rather spend my time showing movies from people who are interested” And really, almost every movie we screen is a gem! Sadly, not one is an Indian movie.
I am sorry to be venting out my frustrations to you like this, but I thought you should know. You make movies with so much passion, wouldn’t you like it to be passed down to people who are equally interested in watching a good movie?
@Debashri,
I am sorry for the dry mail from my office.But what is said is true that we are on the verge of releasing the film. And another fact is that we don´t know when that will happen. You will understand that presently that is the only wish me as a producer/director has and I hope you will also understand that it is not for the money which will come back.It is the answer for the last line of your post.I want people to watch Frozen,lots of people.Regarding the perspective about the so called “bollywood” films,well I know many places in the world where they enjoy those types.About giving a commitment about when the film could be screened you will also understand, I hope that once any distributor takes the film it is up to them to decide the course of the film. I love your passion and commitment for Indian Cinema but you have to realise that there are certain restrictions and plans after a film is completed.
Thanks for your reply. I totally understand what you are saying. In fact, that is what I had stated before as well. I am not denying the restrictions either. All I am saying is, I am disappointed with the ‘this is not possible, that is not possible’ email :). A little detail would have helped. Whenever I get in touch with any Indian distribution company, I hit a dead-end. It is very frustrating! On the other hand, with one day’s work, we have managed to get films for an entire Australian Film Festival.
Also, I understand that people sometimes enjoy our ‘bollywood’ films. I was brought up on those too, and I still have moist eyes when Jai of ‘Sholay’ dies or the three brothers of ‘Yaadon ki Baaraat’ reunite. But, when I look at the films from India, that they get here to show the people and the films that they get from other countries… there is a world of difference. And the most painful thing is, that we have equally good cinema in India as well! ‘Bollywood’ clearly has become a money-making machine. The discussion after the films is usually on how the characters look silly trying to be ‘American’ or how beautiful the lead actress’ dresses were. I wait for the day when more and more people will discuss Pankaj Kapoor and Tabu in ‘Maqbool’ or Ranveer Shorey in ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’ :).
I am glad you have taken the time to reply… I really really hope you did not mind my ’speaking aloud’.
I wish you all the best for your film. When it does get a full release and the distributor is finalized, I shall try to get it again.
PS: I know its not for the money that will come back, that you are looking forward to releasing your film. If you were so inclined, you wouldn’t have made a film like ‘Frozen’ :)
PS2: I don’t know about your film yet, but your photographs are wonderful ! And Danny still looks as dashing as ever :)
Thanks again for the patient hearing that you gave me! :)
Congratulations Shivaajee & the Frozen team. This is just the start of a marathon of awards….
cheers
@Mainak
Thank you.This was the biggest till now and the best. The whole city was in love with us and we really felt proud to represent Indian Cinema.I want to write about my Granada trip here but then sometimes experiences which can be felt can’t be written.And also I am not that good with words as maybe with images :-)…
By the way it was Audience as well as the Best Director Award at the 2nd Cines del Sur film festival at Granada,Spain.
@Shivajee..do write about your experience..who says you are not good with words…likho likho..likho
Bhai yahan par itni maar dhaad chal rahi thee and I was in Granada.Missed all the action packed days.Me as usual Indian Cinema ka parcham videsh mein le ke ghoom rahe hain.By the way the first film I saw after landing was……Guruji ki film…Aamir.
Kaisi lagi? Maakki..here the desi theatre owner says he is screening it..but..keeps postponing..
maar dhadh kya sir..jahan pyar hain..wahan ghussa bhi..aur kuch nahi hain..everything peaceful now
I liked it.I never go to a film to criticize it anyway.I try to learn.
Baaki Guruji ka touch hai…It was a night show and the theatre was full. Am so happy that people are ready to watch alag type ki film.
Haven’t seen SarkaarR…
Reading this article reminded me of Asif Kapadia’s interview for his latest film ‘Far North’ starring Michelle Yeoh. Here, northern part of Norway is taken to be the icy landscape of Arctic where 2 women live in isolation completely cut off from civilization.
Asif’s take on making films is that he would like the backdrop to speak and influence the twists in the story.
It was the first time I had read about such an approach to making a film. I really liked it. Not for him are heavy dialogues and good music as criteria that make a good movie. I’m not sure that I totally agree with him but it was a very different take on movie-making and that’s what I liked. I’m finding a similar connection here and am pleasantly surprised. Guess, ‘Frozen’ is another one that I cannot miss. Thanks SC and congrats once again!
Btw, has anyone here been lucky enough to see these 2 movies? (It’ll be great if you know where one can source the DVD from - Far North I mean. Frozen I guess isnt yet out. I’m near Delhi and I always draw a blank from DVD rentals out here.)
@Arthi V,
Asif is a good friend and I had the opportunity to watch Far North at the Times BFI London FF. It was awesome.
I feel anything other than the story are embellishments towards the final product.
Frozen was world premiered at Osians Delhi last year.I don’t know when and where you can watch it.
The last what I had heard of Far North was that sadly they were also searching for distributors.I hope and pray that both are released some day so that more people could watch it.
Thank you,Arti.
Hmmmm…True….But now its making me wonder what makes a story? The characters only? Am not so sure about this. Is this what you meant SC? I’m kinda lost here.
Btw, nice to get a quickie reply. Envy you that you have seen ‘Far North’. :-). Not sure about this, but the last I had read was that Asif was looking at a few European distributors for the film. Hope both these films get released soon. All the very best to you!
@Arti V,
As far as I am concerned whenever I watch a good film I come out thinking “wow,what a good story”. Characters,yes…they should jump out from a book,or screen and mesmerise you.Once you fall in love with them then whatever they do or whatever they undergo you are with them. Dialogues,Music,Background Score,Sound Design etc. enhance the experience of watching these characters live their lives or may be even die. My fellow writers here in PFC can correct me if wrong. Boss I have just made one film.My knowledge is very limited and I am still learning.
Yup..Rightly said…Thats what I expect too…But then…. honestly, am not getting the right words now….so let this be…You are right in a way…
@Arthi V,
:-)