Sarvan is a college student making a short-film. So, what’s new? Students making short films has become a trend of sorts. But Sarvan is directing what he claims is India’s first non-animated 3D short film, Naran .
Sarvan, doing his third-year Electronics and Communications Engineering at Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore, has shot the film in the city and scenic Anaikatti using a Sony HDR-TD10 camcorder and Canon EOS 60D and Canon EOS 7D cameras. He has employed “stereoscopic 3D conversion” technology that will enable people to watch the film even on mobile phones and computer screens, provided they have 3D glasses, even “affordable ones made of paper”.
The film, expected to be released online in July, is a thriller about five youngsters. “However, we have thrown in elements of humour and romance to make it more appealing,” says Sarvan, who learnt filmmaking, by “watching YouTube videos and reading articles on film-making techniques”.
The Naran cast is mostly made up of Sarvan’s friends — Sachin, Ashwin Krishnan, Kishore, Siddharth, Snigdha, Shree Vidhya and Bhavadharini. They were chosen after a photoshoot and screen-test. Cinematography is by Le Bharathi. Jeevan, who has worked under composer Mani Sharma, is part of the crew. The 50-minute movie also has a song composed by Aswathaman Aacharya, who learnt music in AR Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory.
Considering he’s a newcomer and his cast is full of amateurs, did he face any hurdles? “Just some. No one bunked classes to act in the film and many a time we had to hold up shooting as their presence was vital for a shot. And yes, I learnt to be patient.”
Sarvan used part of his scholarship money to make the film. His parents chipped in with funds too. It helped that the entire crew worked for free. The film is now in post-production, and Sarvan says it has been a huge learning experience. “It taught me all about co-ordinating with people and bringing out the best in them.”
What next? A feature film? “It all depends on the outcome of the movie,” says Sarvan.
