My First Tryst with Film Making
iView Author:
Gajendra S Shrotriya (Jaipur, India)
Email :
gshrotriya [at] yahoo.co.in
My First Tryst with Film Making
Before I even start this write up, I want to sincerely thank my friend Dr. Rahul Tikku who actually sent me the URL of PFC. He himself wanted to be a singer but ended up being a doctor, and knew my interst in film making, thought I would find it interesting. And he was right. I immediately fell in love with the website. Now I visit this site almost daily and try to contribute my comments as well.
I have already expressed some of the views in comments, which I would be repeating here but since they were on PFC, I hope this does not violate the PFC norms. For last many days, I was thinking about the subject to be picked up for my first writeup but none appealed me better than this one. I hope PFCians would find it interesting.
My first tryst with film making began almost a year back. Before I get on with the article, I would like to present my introduction. I come from the City of Lakes Udaipur in Rajasthan and at present am settled in Jaipur. I did my engineering in Mechanical Engg. from MNIT Jaipur. Did few jobs for four five years. Also did MBA in Finance. In 1994, left my job and started doing business. Did many businesses and failed in almost each of them. In 1999, I moved to Jaipur and joined my college friends in construction business. Since then the going is good but all this could never put films out of my mind. Now at 41, I want to be the youngest film maker.
Coming back to the tryst, the idea struck me while I read Jeffrey Archer’s collection of short stories “A Quiver Full of Arrows”when I was in college. One of the stories appealed to me the most and I decided to make my first film on its adaptation. In the meantime, I had studied little bit of Syd Field on screenplay writing and some good stuff about film making on internet. When I started writing (read typing) my first screenplay for my first short film, I didn’t know Hindi typing so wrote the whole script in English with Hindi dialogues in English (Roman) Script. I came to know that even big film makers write it like this when I got to see the NS script on PFC and I can not thank PFC any more for this validation.
My search for actors ended at my partners and their families who were more than willing to be the part of the film. In India, everybody is crazy for films. Any news of film shooting are the largest crowd puller across the country. My idea on the length of the film was to keep it around 10 minutes but inorder to accommodate all my partners and their children, I had to create lot of scenes that increased the length to about 25 minutes. Script was circulated among all the actors and we also did a workshop to explain everybody the story and their characters. I also tried to take auditions but all my actors could only burst into big laughter in front of the camera (Camera was lent to me by my other partner who is in USA). So I decided to give it a go and planned the shoot in three straight days. Part of the film was shot at my own house and rest at a resort near Jaipur, where we often go on weekends. After the release of my first cut which was around 25 minutes long, I realized that my story had got lost in so many irrelevant scenes created to accommodate everybody. I kept working on the film and cut it down everytime I opened it in the editing software. I had read in one of the PFC article that you should learn to “Kill your Darlings” if you really want to make a good enticing film. Gradually after 5 months of my first release, I have my final cut which is 8 minutes 20 seconds long. The film can not be called a great one but it would definitely be a fun to watch. I hope viewers would bear with the performance of my artists.
I have now released the film named “The Story Book” on You Tube and can be viewed at;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVucO7Nupn0
Since this movie, I have learnt a lot and realized that nothing can teach you more than the process of making the film itself. I agree that professional training at Film schools can reduce the learning curve but that could be compensated by the passion and can never substitute for creativity. Watching films, reading stories and being observant to notice whats happening around you are the biggest learning tools. Techniques could be learnt by watching films. My technical background helps me a lot to learn by watching. Besides, If some one is lucky enough to get an opportunity to observe the process itself, then nothing like it. But here I can not emphasize any more that film making is a team work. Your films would only be as better as your team’s expertise. So formation of an excellent team is one of the primary job of a film maker, be it technicians, other crew members, performers and production managers. The advantage here is that in film making business, most of the talent can be associated on project to project basis. Budget of course is a limiting factor but then working within the budget is another challenge and a learning experience. Being an MBA Finance myself, I can not emphasize the importance of planning and budgeting any more to monitor the expenses vis a vis project cost. In technical terms, exception and variance reporting has to be monitored very closely.
PFCOne 2007 actually threw a great opportunity to all learners and I have tried to make the most of it. I have submitted seven one- minute films in the contest. If organizers are listening, I would suggest one award for highest number of acceptable submissions too. Making of these one- minute films has been a tremendous learning experience for me and it taught me to tell a story in shortest possible way. Whether my films get appreciated or not is a different thing, this learning will encourage me ever to make more films. I am already working now on a script for a 60 minute short film to be shot on HD and this time, my actors would be some talented beginners. I am already looking for artists and someone reading this if interested may contact me. Film would go on floor only next year. I have now graduated from Zero budget to a low budget film maker and hope to hit the silver screen in another 2-3 years. Wish me luck. Regards to all PFC readers.
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Gajendra – There is a certain innocence in your post and your efforts of film-making. In fact your post itself can be made into a short film on travails of a first time film-maker. I loved the fact that you had to accomodate all your friends and the plot was lost. It is what happens to most big budget big starcast movies. So you have made an auspicious start.
I look forward to your PFCOne contributions.
All the best for your future ventures.
A very endearing post. I find it really interesting and heartening that so many people are rediscovering themselves, and their passion for the visual medium. I feel this could be a kind of a movement which will infuse some new blood to cinema in India…… Thank You Gajendra for this personal experience.
I feel a need to ask you this question, Do you still think some kind of training will still do you good in the long run?
Wonderful post Mr. Gajendra, endearing as mentioned in a comment. I am in some ways in the same boat as you are. MBA, working full time,and desperately trying to break into making films, infact I spent a year in mumbai trying to get a break unsuccessfully…..Way to go, all the best!
Subrat… Thanks a lot.
$iDs… Thanks for handing me over the gauntlet. To answer your query; First, I don’t feel at 41,joining an institute to learn film making would be a great help to me in the long run. My view woould have been different if I were in my twenties or early thirties.
Second, though at one stage I had thought of joining Whistling Woods, not to learn but to have an opportunity to network with the right people, coz I feel Alumni are the best way to do that. But then I preferred to spend 15 lacs and two years in making the film itself. So at present I am working on a 60 to 90 min long script on a film for youth and would invest this money and much lesser time on making the film itself. I am already in the process of forming my team and all those interested are welcome to join me. But remember, its a low budget film.
Thanks Faisal… I can only hope if we could form a team one day and work together.
Good job Gajendra
Thanks TRA… The story I am workin on is about a dalit boy who resurrects himself after a devastating personal tragedy and goes on to prove himself despite all prejudices and malice against him and his community, without taking any support or favours, be it political or reservation to his community.
So I was being a bit selfish when I wanted to know your views on dalits and reservations. I hope you would pardon me for that.
Gajendra ji
I think you are working on a very relevant theme.
All the best.
There is no question of selfishness or pardon.
I completely respect your views on this matter.:)
Hi,G.S.S,your enthusiasm and passion for cinema should take you a long way.
There’s a simplicity in your post which was very touching.
Look forward to hearing more about your movie project.
Hi Gajendra ,
My passion is writing stories and observing people.
You have instilled the enthusiasm to people like me to come forward and join you.
Also I want to learn about screenplay writing.
@A Prakash… Thanks. I’ll keep PFC readers apprised of developments on my forth coming project.
@KHH… PFC has done a great job by providing scripts of No Smoking and Manorama. Will help a great deal learning the art of screen play writing. Besides, try this link to learn more;
http://www.4filmmaking.com/
Hello Gajendra
This is my first post on PFC.Just came to know abt this pandora box for film enthusiasts!.I did my schooling from UDR and Ajmer…now ‘m in New Delhi.Just a couple of questions though…What fim camera are you gonna use to shoot? would you need any more techinicians other than you?
Cheers
Krish
Hi Minus Zero… I plan to use some HDPro camera for the film and of course, a team is going to work with me. Right now I’m working on the screenplay and team building.
I’m all set to shoot my first short film in abt 3 months time..can you suggest which cam should I go for?..willing to spend around 40k
Many thanks
Hi Krish… Sony HD Cam FX1 could be the right choice. Check out yourself at;
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/sony-hdr-fx1/4505-6500_7-31085889.html
hi Gajendraji, i am also in the same boat.
and engineer and MBA. have not tried filmmaking. but watching and thinking lots of films. reading lot about filmmaking. and hoping to get into filmmaking.
all d best for your project.
keep going.
Thanks Shailesh… take the leap and join the bandwagon.
I must say that it is very well written post and gives a great insight to a lot of other filmmakers.A simple yet a very effective post.
I watched your film “The story book” and thought highly of it.The adaptation of a story by Jeffrey Archer was compactly depicted.Way to go.
A computer engineer by education, moviemaking is what I crave.Having no formal education in filmmaking all that spurs me on is one thing-Passion……and I believe in the end that is all that counts.As you have said nothing can teach you more than the process of filmmaking itself.Thus I have ventured out making a couple of short films for various competitions and gaining experience in the process itself.
Your new film based on the youth of today seems like a brilliant concept to venture into.I believe nothing fulfills more than realistic cinema.I would surely like to be part of this venture.Looking forward to a good film and wishing you the best.
Hiya again
Well I would be interested in being part of this project in whatever way..acting,assisting or simply holding cuppa tea for you.I’m based in New Delhi so coming down to Jaipur wont really be a problem as long as you need me ….lemme know what you think.I’m 21 and only exp. I hv is acting in school plays,long time back. But if you need my assistance in any other way let me know.My email is {edited}
Cheers
Thanks Pariket and MZ…
Get yourself a MiniDV and shhhhoooooot!
Hi GSS,
Thanx for the information on script writing.
How was the PFCOne Festival? do share your experiences with us.
Bye.