When short film maker Ramsundar K. directed a 40-minute film ‘ Seven’ last year, hardly did he imagine that the movie would win him a ticket to tinseltown. Only when legendary director K. Bhagyaraj gave his script to Ramsundar did the young man realize his luck. “I was called by Bhagyaraj one fine morning and he asked me if I can make a short film for his script. I was thrilled.” The outcome is six-minute movie titled ‘Maasaran’, a story on a tricycle puller who struggles to make both ends meet. “Bhagyraj has added his midas touch to the film with his own dialogues and Dr. Gnanasambandan has lent his voice. It’s a bilingual short film with a dubbed version in Hindi which we plan to release on Youtube soon,” says Ramsundar who has directed two other short films that have got a million hits on the site.
Many youth are now jumping into making short films, a medium which they believe will fetch them a big ticket in cinema. “Short films give the leverage of experimenting and learning through a trial-and-error method. A short film can also be shot on a shoe-string budget and doesn’t require much logistics. It can be made with a handy cam and yet can come across with a powerful message and as a strong voice,” says Gowthaman, a visual communication student from The American College, who has directed three short films.
Ramsundar adds that short films when released on social platform like Youtube have a mass reach and also earn the film maker some visibility in the film circuit. “We also regularly screen our films in festivals and send entries to competitions. Thus we get noticed. For instance, my film ‘ seven’ was screened at a festival in Erode and it won the appreciation of camera technician Raja who edited the song ‘ Thallipogathey’ from the movie ‘Accham enbathu Madamaiayada”
Short films help young aspiring filmmakers build a portfolio, says B. Thiruvalar Selvan, who along with his friends has shot a film ‘Paarthuttu Peru Vainga’ . “Nowadays, short films have become projects even in schools and colleges with the easy availability of video cameras, which is good. Technology has made it easy for people to voice their ideas. For the youths it has become an excellent medium to air their thoughts and opinions.
“Right from the script and screenplay to the camera techniques and editing skills, everything matters the same way as in a feature film. Professionally short films can sometimes create a greater impact than popular cinema,” says Jose Irudayaprakash, who assisted camera works in the film.
Ramsundar who has edited over 30 films says that short film is booming into an independent industry from mainstream cinema. “Social media is a great mass platform for short films. I have now launched a studio to support short films made in Madurai and lend editing, equipment and post-production support to young dynamic short filmmakers in the region,” he says.
Collegian Senthil Nathan K., who directed a 14-minute film ‘Domeru Lordu’, says short films can be highly appealing when packed with maximum punch as they have the advantage of being crisp, to the point and yet profound. “The challenge is to infuse art and aesthetics within the short frame of time. A catchy script and title is the key,” he adds.
“Making short films helps one understand team work and how to manage a film crew, to assimilate ideas from various people and putting together a concept. We learn the need and impact of close up and long shots,” says Mohana Kannan, who has directed a 12-minutes thriller ‘ Accham Thavir’.
Visual Communication student M.S.Abhinesh, who has acted as hero in a couple of short films says, “There are many young people who want to get into the cinema field and short films really help them. I want to become an actor some day and my experience of acting has instilled confidence in me.”
