The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : A digital fillip for Chitranjali Studio

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 11, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

A digital fillip for Chitranjali Studio

Special Correspondent

— Photo: S. Gopakumar

HI-TECH: Minister for Culture M.A. Baby inaugurates a colour analyser at the Chitranjali studio in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Most people enjoying a commercial potboiler are ignorant of the complex procedures that go into filmmaking.

A two-and-a-half hour commercial potboiler can consist up to 3,000 shots. For the uninitiated, a shot is a single take made by the movie camera.

For the technicians and cameramen who are responsible for grading or fine-tuning the colour quality and resolution of each and every shot, this task is often a test of patience.

“The process is extremely tedious and can take several days to complete,” said P. Sudheer, chief lab technician at Chitranjali Studio of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC). But things are looking up for Sudheer and his team of technicians.

Colour analyser

On Friday, Minister for Culture M.A. Baby inaugurated a computerised colour analyser that promises to simplify behind-the-scenes work.

“The new equipment will help the cameraman make quick judgements regarding the quality of individual shots, as it makes even the lightest shades distinctly visible to the eye,” said Mr. Sudheer, who has been working at the studio for the last 28 years.

Already, three films, including one featuring Suresh Gopi in the lead role, have been graded using this Rs.40-lakh equipment.

Earlier, inaugurating the digital analyser Mr. Baby urged the employees of KSFDC to develop a positive work culture.

“You should work as a team and see how you can better the existing attitude among the employees,” he said.

Mr. Baby assured the employees that the government would provide all the necessary assistance for the proposed renovation of the studio.

The Minister also inaugurated a film museum on the studio premises.

K.G. George, chairman, and N. Ayyappan, managing director, KSFDC, were present on the occasion.

The new facility is part of a major restoration programme on the sprawling grounds of the Chitranjali Studio on the Thiruvallam hills, near here.

The project seeks to harness the strength and imagination of the 200-odd employees at the studio complex to create the State’s first film city-cum-recreation centre.

The regeneration of the campus involves landscaping the grounds with flower beds, lawns, shrubs, and trees.

The Chitranjali Studio was set up in 1980 to provide processing and post-production facilities for Malayalam filmmakers.

Over the years, the studio became a dead unit as a result of the failure to upgrade the infrastructure.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala